The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-20
NOTE OF WARNING
The United States Officially
Notifies Russia
That There Must Be No Med
ding With China.

Chicago, Feb. 2O-The Tribune today
prints the following cablegram from Pc
kin. China, under date of February 10;
"A sensation was caused in diploma
tic circles here today when it became
known that the United States, through
Secretary of State John Hay had sent
a note to the Russian and Chinese gov
ernments following closely along the
lines of the Anglo-Japanese treaty of
January 30.
The note is a distinct warning to both
China and Russia that the United States
will not permit the integrity of the em-
pire to be molested in favor of one ma
ton to the detriment of another.
The note which practically indorses
the English treaty with Japan says:
Washington, d. Can agreement
whereby China gives any corporation on
company the exclusive right or privilege
of opening mines, establishing railroads,
or in any other way industrially devel-
oping Manchuria can but be viewed
with the gravest concern by the govern
ment of the United States
1T constitutes monopoly which is
distinct breach of the stipulation Of the
treaties concluded between China and
foreign powers and thereby securely ar
fects the rights of American citizens
1T restricts their rightful trade, ex-
posing it to being Disseminated against,
interfered with, or otherwise jeopardiz-
ed and strongly tends to permanently
impairing Chinas sovereign riggs i'll
this part of the empire, while it serious
Iv interferes with her ability to meet in
ternationa obligations
Furthermore, such concession on
China'S part would undoubtedly be fol-
lowed by demands of other powers for
similar equal extensive advantages else
where in the Chinese empire, and the
inevitable result must be the complete
wreck of the policy of absolute equality
of treatment to all nations respecting
trade, navigation and commerce within
the empires confines
"On the other hand, the attainment
by one power of such exclusive priv
ileges for the commercial organizations
of it's nationality conflicts with the as
surances repeatedly conveyed to this
government by the imperial Russian
ministry of foreign affairs of the inn
periaI governments intention to follow
the policy of the open door, as advo-
Gated by the government of the United
States and accepted by all the treaty
powers having commercial interests in
the empire
1T is for these reasons that the gov
ernment of the United States now, as
formerly, animated by the sincerest de-
sire of insuring to the whole world the
benefits of full and fair intercourse be-
tween China and the nations on a foot
ing of equal rights and advantages to
all submits the above to the earnest
consideration of the imperial govern
1nenIS or Cnlna ana 1kuSSld,
that they will give due weight to it's
Importance and that they viii adopt
such measures as will relieve the just
and natural anxiety of the United
States
The, Tribune prints. also. the follow
ing special from Washington:
It has been understood here from the
outset that the terms of the British
Japa ~eSe agreement to preserve the in
tegri.y = of China was submitted in ad-
vance to President Roosevelt and Secre-
tary Hay and approved by them.
Following out the traditional policy,
however. of avoiding entangling al
liances, the United States positively de-
clined to become a party to any actual
agreement concerning China
When Lord Cranborne in the British
parliament last week declared there
was no doubt the British-Japanese
agreement would command the full APP
proval of the United States, he spoke
by authority.
The agreement between Great Brit
ain and Japan was dated January 80.
There is, therefore, deep significance
that on February l, two days after the
treaty was signed, this country sent to
Russia a note practically adopting the
principle of the treaty as the policy of
the United States The agreement be-
tween Great Britain and Japan is
largely a military one and provides FOR
a joint use of forces in case of hostiii-
ties.
Secretary Hays letter. of course,
substance of it as telegraphed leaves
no doubt that Russia has been notified
of the fact in strong diplomatic Ian
guage that the moral support of the
United States is with Great Britain
and Japan, and that this country viii
necessarily resent amy failure on the
part of Russia to redeem the pledge it
made to President Mckinley that the
open door policy should be applied to
Manchuria-
Apparently Secretary Hay waited
until after the British-Japanese treaty
was made public, so that the note of
the United States might have all the
weight of an Endorsement of that
treaty.
1t is believed here also that Germany
wrote a similar note to Russia. and
that. while the emperor was unwilling
to participate in an alliance with Eng
land and Japan. he was not averse to
letting the car know that Germans
comm ercial interests in the Orient
would be jealousy guarded.
1t is expected. in fact, that Germany
and the United States will be found TO
be occupying almost the same position,
and thus the result will be that Russia
and France will be arrayed on one side
and Great Britain, Germany, Japan and
the United States on the other