Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-03-26
BRITISH HELP
IS WANTED
Chinese Minister Asks English
Government to Step in
and Stop Russia.
SITUATION Is STILL COMPLICATED
China's Appeals for Succor Have
Failed to Produce Direct
Remonstrances.

London, March 26. The Chinese
minister. Sir Chih Chen Lo Feng Luh,
called at the foreign office yesterday
and urged the British government To
bring pressure to bear III order 10 pre-
vent Russia from securing the neces-
sary signatures of the Mdnchurian
agreement. The foreign office was still
in the dark last night as to whether
the agreement will be signed or al
lowed 10 lapse when the time expires,
March 20. The officials of the Jap
anese legation are inclined to believe
Russia will succeed i'll getting the
necessary signatures. The situation is
still more complicated owing to the
fact. ascertained by a representative
of the Associated Press yesterday. that
there are two secret treaties, one of
which is to be signed at st. Peters
burg, dealing with Russia's military
control of Manchuria, and another, to
be signed at Peking, dealing with her
civil powers.
China Appeals for support.
The Chinese appeals for support
have failed to produce any direct re-
monstranceS from Great Britain or APP
parently from any other power to st.
Petersburg, for Russia persiStently adj
hered TO her contention that the secret
agreements concern no one except her
self and China. On this ground Great
Britain'S request for copies of the
agreement was abruptly declined. 1t
is explained at the foreign office here
that it would be dangerous and use
less breach Of diplomatic procedure to
endeavor to enter upon eXpOstulations
with Russia which would only be
based upon information supplied by
the Chinese. In other words the copies
of secret treaties and alleged moditica-
tiOnS of them recently given to the
powers by the Chinese are worthless
documents and will remain such until
Russia herself chooses to communicate
the text of the actual treaties and
notifications.
Thinks Russia Will Sign.
In the absence of the Japanese min
lister in. London. Baron Hayashi, Mr..
MatSui, first secretary of the Japanese
legation. who was interviewed yester
day afternoon by representative of
the Associated Press, made a compre-
hensive statement of the issues in
volved. He said: "Russia'S inSistence,
China's helpleSsneSs and the probable
victory of Russian diplomacy tomor-
row will bring us to the brink of
dangerous situation in which none of
the powers is so deeply concerned as
Japan. Even if the secret treaties
have been modified. as i lleged. the
changes are so trifling as to make the
documents thoroughly Objectionable to
Japan. Assuming that China signs
the treaties. | suppose Great Britain.
Germany and the United States will
protest to Russia. But that is about
as far as they will go and about as
much as they will get. With Japan
it is a matter of fighting.
Japan Will Fight for Rights.
"The question is whether we are to
fight Russia now or TO figh: her later
on. She has no right to Manchuria,
and if she secures Manchuria she will
be on the way TO securing Korea. Our
government, | believe. are seriously
the crisis. Their eyes are
wide open and they will not he driven
to precipitate action by the jingoists
of Japan. who are openly clamoring
for Immediate war. Yet. if they see
that war is unavoidable they will not
hesitate to strike.
Not Afraid OF Results.
Japan has no reason TO be afraid
as TO the result Many reasons occur
to the average Japanese mind in favor
of forcing at the present moment Il
struggle which must come eventually.
The chief reason against so doing is
the fact that Japan Is Just beginning
a new Industrial era which would be
killed should we endeavor
by force of arms to prevent Russian
ncroachments. If we follow the lead
of other powers and do not threaten
hostilities, we realize that we must sit
down tamely and see any other ma
ton step in to make agreements SINH |
lar to those which China seems on
the verge of signing with Russia. This |
would mean the Partition of the Chi |
nese empire and the end of the open |
door, If we opposed it. we naturally |
think we would have the moral sup |
port of the United States, which has |