The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-03-22
OVER DISPUTED RAILWAY CONCESSION
AT TEN TSIN.
BOTH PARTIES TO WITHDRAW,
The Matter to be settled Diplomatic
cally-No Confirmation OF Russia's
Reported Breakdown as to Manchurfa.
Combined Opposition OF the Powers
to Russia's Aggressive Course too
Strong for Her-England VIII Under
no Circumstances Attack Russia.

London. March 1s.-On the highest
official authority the Associated Press
is authorized to announc that the
difficulty at Tien Tsin between tee
Russians n British over the construc-
ton OF n railroad siding in territory
Gained by both. will probably BE- soiv-
ed by the withdrawal OF both the Brit
ish and the Russian tRoops from the
ground in dispute.
There is a disposition here TO think
too much has been made OF the Aayio-
PusSian incident at Tien Tsin and a
more hopeful view of the AFT air is TAX
en- today. This Is aided by the state
ment contained in DR.. M~orrison's dis
patch from Pekin yesterday TO The
london Times which is taken to mean
that the combined efforts OF the inter
ested powers are having the effect Of
causing St. Petersburg to check any
tendency TO undue a-ggressiveness on
the part of the Russian representatives
in China.
The OF the afternoon pa
pers here rereat the views OF the ma
jority OF the morning papers, namely:
Tha diplomacy will be able to smooth
the friction.
The officials OF the British foreign
office have not yet received official con-
firmation OF Russia's alleged ckdow
in regard to Manchuria, Turkestan n
Mongolia, and inquiries on the subject
are now being made at st. Petersburg
and Pekin. The British foreign office
is not relaxing its efforts to secure a
more satisfactory statement of the in
tentions of Russia, but the officials de-
precate the British pheSs agitation on
the subject. On all sides Ii is officially
and otherwise said that Great Britain
has not the slightest contemplation OF
resorting to hostilities against Russia.
whatever may be the outcome OF h
present negotiations.
While hostilities are out OF the ques-
ton, however, 1t is not unlikely that
diplomatic relations between Great
Britain and Russia will become strain
ed almost to the breaking point. Pos
sibly British warships may be dispatch
ed to bring pressure to bear upon Rus
STA; but war will not result unless some
fracas, quite by London
n ST. Petersburg, occurs between the
opposing forces at Tien Tsin.
This assertion is based upon exhaus-
tive inquiries made by the Associated
Press in London. a prominent British
official. often the mouth-piece OF the
government, whose position makes IL
undesirable that he should be named in
this connection, said this evening:
1T is useless for our newspapers to
use provocative language. They for
get that we have a great army in South
Africa and that we have no other army.
nor the makingS of one elsewhere. 1t
is impossible to go to war with Russia"
Replying to Sir Ellis Ashmead-Bar-
tlett Conservative, Mr.. Balfour, the
government leader. said in the nous Of
commons today that the government
did not possess any indi-
eating any decline in British influence
in the Yang Use province. AS to the
Russian claim for the waters OF Blonde
and Elliott stands the British govern
ment a certainly not accepted this
claim. The government had received
no communication on the subject from
Russia. The Russian admiral had re-
monstrated against the presence I'm the
waters of Elliott island OF her majesty's
ship Plover, which was engaged in
pursuing pirates; but. British ships had
a perfect right, under the treaty of
Tien Tsin, to go there.
Questions regarding the dispute at
Tien Tsin were parted by the under
secretary for foreign affairs. Lord
Cranborne, in refusing to answer them
without notice.
William Redmond raised nationalist
cheers by asking why Great Britain had
hoisted the white flag and backed down
after threatening to use force Of arms. E
Tien Tsin, March 1S.-The Ang1o-Rus-
sian dispute is unchanged. The French
troops are quieter. Over forty arrests
have been made.
London, March 1S.-The Times this
morning makes the following ~announc-
meHt:
I'VE learn that Count Won Waldersee
has interferred, as commander In chief
of the allied forces in China, to put an
end to the mutually hostile attitude Of
British and Russia troops at Tien
Tsin."
There Is no confirmation Of this
statement in other quarters. but IL has
an air of extreme probability and will
be received by England with feelings
of considerable relief.
The Daily Mail, in an editorial, which
frankly faces a disagreeable situation,
says:
w must admit that this is no juno
ture TO risk fresh quarreis. Our arma-
ments are inefficient, and our fleet in
the far east is so weak that its posi-
ton woul be peri1ous. It Is a painful
process for the nation to have it's face
slapped. but until the country compeIs
the government to put our house In or
der IL is a humiliation to which we
must accustom ourselves"
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