Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-19

London. March 1S.-Coincident with
the news of alarming rebelios in three
provinces of China, the foreign officers
here, today, issued a voluminous Blue
Book dealing with the protracted negO-
tiations between China and the powers
from March 2S. 1901, to Sept. Z, 1901,
when the final protocol was signed.
One striking quotations, peculiarly
apt to the present Far Eastern situa-
ton, can be extracted from a dispatch
of the British ambassador at st.
Petersburg, Sir Charles S. Scott, to
Lord Lansdowne, the British foreign
secretary, in which Count Lamsdorff,
the Russian foreign minister, is quoted
as saying he was pleased at the fact
that the British government was de-
sirous of Fastening a return to nor
NAL conditions in China but he dread
ed the possibility of fresh outbursts OF
anti-foreign fanaticism.
Throughout the extended negotia-
tons on the subject OF the amount, d.
vision and methods of payment of the
Chinese Indemnity, Great Britain and
the United States appear from the Blue
Book to have worked hand in hand,
though opposed by all the other
powers.
After learning of the adverse attitude
of the continental powers toward the
American proposition to reduce the in
demnity to $4,000, 000 Lord Lansdowne
instructed Sir Ernest Satow, the Brit
ish minister at Pekin), that the figures
erred inside of liberality, though he
was quite ready to agree to more
moderate reduction.
Russia and the other powers strenu-
ously held out for joint international
guarantee of the Chinese loan. This
appears to have formed the rock on
which the powers almost split. Sir En-
nest Satow cabled as follows:
The United States is firmly opposed
to any international guarantee. Mr.
Rockhill tbe United States special
commissioner states that the Pres
ident is most anxious to bring about a
reduction in the indemnity. Personally
Mr.. Rockhill is disposed to abandon the
Limitation to G4o,O0O.ooO if the powers
would agree on a declaration In taNOr
of reducing the amount"
In this as in most of the other car
dinal points. Anglo American diploma
cy triumphed, though the American
proposition to submit the indemnity
question to the Hague court of arbi-
tration met with a refusal on all sides,
including Great Britain.
Gerald Lowther, Uhen secretary of
the British embassy at Washington
and now British minister to Chile)
sent an interesting dispatch to Lord
Lansdowne June 10, 1901. saying that
Mr.. Hill assistant secretary of state)
told him that the Russian and French
ambassadors were strongly and re-
peatedly urging the United States not
to oppose an increase in the maritime
customs of China and that they were
also using every effort to induce the
United States to agree to a joint guar
antee loan. Mr.. Hill, according to Mr.
Lowthcr, said the United States would
not agree to a general increase OF
maritime customs, though it might
agree to an increase in the duties on
concern articles and he told the am
b bassadors of France and Russia that
Congress would never consent to as
sumo the financial liability of guaran-
tecing a loan.
The Blue Book contains only one
important reference to Manchuria. The
British ambassador at st. Petersburg
writing to Lord Lansdowne, quotes
Count Lemsdorff, April u, 1901 as say
ing that the Car adhered unswerving-
ly to his intention so frankly and fire.
quently declared to withdraw the Rus
sian troops and restore Manchuria t.
its former Chinese administration. SC
soon as the normal state of affairs and
the reinstatement at Pekin of legit-
innate. independent government capa-
BILE of maintaining order in the empire
permitted the Russian evacuation.