The Minneapolis journal., 1902-04-22
RUSSIA RECEDES

SoA pO1 otAOA 1i1tO SFSi oSAoA ~
RUSSIA 2RECEDES
The information comes with strong
degree of positiveness from Washington
that the actual terms Of the Russo Chi
nese treaty, as received by our govern
ment, reveal most astonishing recession
of Russia from her attitude of defiance
with respect to her tenure of Manchurla.
Under pressure, perhaps, of the ,graVely
revolutionary domestic condition in Eu-
ropean Russia, as we'll as because of the
Anglos-Japan treaty, which commits those
powers to the defense Of the integrity of
the Chinese empire, with the avowed NOR
al support of our own government, Rus
sia has signed treaty with China look
| ing to the same end, agreeing to withdraw
| her troops in twelve months, except an
! inconsiderable force to protect the rail-
| way to Dalny in the Liao-Tung peninsula.
The evacuation of Nieuc chwang was con-
ditioned upon the evacuation of Tientsfn
by Germany, who has not as yet made any
promise of doing so, or of withdrawing
from Shantung province, where she has
established%a colony, and claims the
hinterland back to the Yellow river.
In the signed treaty it appears, how
ever, that Russia proposes to get out of
Manchuria within year, bag and bag
gage, abdicating both civil and military
domination. and surrendering her claim
4 to exclusive; railway and mining priVi-
leges, her railway lines, built at large
cost, to be handed over to the Chinese
authorities.
Such a Transformation of the character
of old Adam Zad, if really genuine, is the
most astonishing case of an Ethiopian
changing his spots on record. 1t is; true
Russia receded rather ingloriously from
the San Stefano treaty she forced from
| Turkey in 1878, and which handed over to
her Turkish territory from the Balkans
down to the Aegean sea, but she, in that
case, found herself face to face with all
the big powers of Europe, who threatened
J her with war if she insisted upon retaining
I her plunder. But, in the case of Man
! churia, she has constructed an extension
Of her Siberian railway through Man
churia, from Khulan- Chou on the main
} line to Port Arthur and Dalny, with an
other branch to Nieu- -chwang, the thriv-
Tung.f Russia has had heavy garrisons
at this place. at EMukden, the capital, and
4 all other important points, with a Russian
political agent at Mukden. With all the
, evidence of intended permanent occupa-
ton all the other powers have been re-
peatedly assured by Count Lamsdorf, the
, czar's minister of foreign affairs, that
Russia intended to withdraw from Man
!, churia when "order was restored This
statement has always been received with
5 great incredulity by the other powers, as
2 the duplicity of Russia had been demon
3 strated on many previous occasions, and
3 Lit is known that she has assumed some
, kind of protectorate over Mongolia and
$ maintains It, But the altered Russo
c Chinese treaty seems to be received at
: Washington, and by the diplomatic world
] generally, with an astonishing degree o1
: confidence 1t has been believed that
b Russia would not risk losing trick III
the big diplomatic game which China has
. been playing without trumps, but some.
!: thing has happened which has suddenly
, "changed the range of Russia's vision.
In the first place, with the exception o
e the United States, the powers were at tht
S fall of Peking in 1900; preparing to make
: good their spheres and respective hin
: terlands in China. Great Britain is no
81 excepted because she was gravitating
> Notwithstanding her profession of friend
5 ship for China, toward reaping equivalen
advantages with the other powers.
Into this concert of wicked intention
l. our government, through Secretary Hay
threw a bombshell in the shape of a de
mand for pledge by all and singular 0
- them to abstain from violating the terri
= torial integrity of China and to secur
= the preservation of the commercial right
- of all nations in China.
- After much a-hemming and having, MI
Hays proposition was acquiesced in b
y the powers. 1t Is true Germany an
. France and Russia held on to what boot
% they secured. Great Britain and Japa
held on to what they had formerly game
" by conquest from China, but our govern
: ment called halt upon further predator
= acts, and Russia now promises to with
draw absolutely from Manchuria, an ex
y ample which Germany would do well
- follow as to Shantung province.
II 1t is true Russia has not withdraw
y vet: it is we'll to wait and see Whethe
performance will follow promise befor
extolling Russia too heartily. leadin
a. reason for Adam Zad to loosen his gri
~ from his prey is that Russia is apparent
~ ly on the verge of a revolutionary move
~ ment, stimulated by the wholesale arres
~ of university students, whose leaders d.
u clare that the time has come for a chang
OF in the form of government and are usin
l. all their influence to unite the discor
r tented workmen and all the groups of tt
or revolutionary class. The troops will
drawn from Manchuria will probably
or sent to European Russia to provit
ne against possible uprisings.
ed The Washington dispatches indicate
ge probability that the interstate CONNER,
t. bill will be amended so as to permit poo
:, | iuor b,, no dc ,,,oIer ooyernmont cl,po1