The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-24
RUSSIA'S COUP
CAUSES COMMENT
Washington Officials Declare the
Bear Has Broken Faith in Re-
gard to Manchuria.
Permanent Occupation of that Pro-
vince Is Expected to Injure
American Trade.
Will Also Give the Gear an Import
ant Strategic Position on
...s.. the Pacific.

Washington April 24.--Minister Conger
from Peking has cabled to Secretary Hay
a synopsis of the demands made upon
China by Russia respecting control Of
Manchuria. This account agrees precise
| ly with the full land accurate press report
of Russia's last coup from the Chinese
capital. Secretary Hay will take no action
in the matter until he has communicated
the facts to the president and has learned
the latter's wishes.
The present impression here is that the
| Russian action is distinct breach of faith
with the United tSates. The Russian gov
eminent pledged itself three times for
mally. and the documents are Of record,
that the ''open door, should be maintained
in Manchuria and Russian troops would
De, WITHDRAWN as soon as peace was re-
stored. Finally the latter promise took
the shape Of a treaty stipulation. 1t was
provided that the evacuation should take
| place within three distinct periods. The
last Russian soldier should have quit Man
churia on the eighth Of this month accord
ing to that treaty. But a plausible ex-
planation for temporary retention of the
| remaining Russian troops was offered by
| Russia in the claim that the country was
still disturbed and that vigorous military
| methods were necessary in the interest of
| sanitation.
! Officials declare that there is no danger
of war with Russia over this incident. The
government of. the United States has re-
| corded it's ideas of what should be done
| in Manchura, and as the result Of Secre-
| tary Hays projected conference with the
president it is probable that q further re-
| mOnstrance will be added But it is an
| ticipated that Russia will, for the time
| being, at least, allay foreign opposition, or
| at least that Of the United States, by
carrying out it's pledge as to the "open
door,"
| There will be no additional treaty ports
| in ManChuria if Russia succeeds in this
! last move. New Chwang. however, is
| still treaty port and until Russia makes
a further move of applying her customs
| systems to that port, United States pro-
ducts may enter there at the same uniform
rate Of 5 per cent duty as are collected
in The southern Chinese ports
An official of the government. well in
formed regarding Chinese affairs, said
that the step taken by Russia lis one for
which she has been preparing for q num-
Der Of years. Extra ordinary as 1t may
seem he says that there appears to BE no
way of preventing the consummation of
Russlas plan.~ Japan is in no position
to dispute the action, and, even with the
assistance of England. it is doubtful. iii
his opinion, whether the purpose Of Rus
sia could be changed. AS to the interest
OF this government he said it was doubt
| full whether the United States could look
with favor upon the far greater control
OF the Pacific ocean which the new
! move would give Russia. He had no
doubt that Russia would eventually apply
the Russian tariff to the new territory,
| in which case the United States would en-
deavOr to sell the Russians raw materials
for manufacture in place Of the finished
products which now go to that part of
China. He said that there has been great
development in Manchuria under the Rus
sian auspices, during the past few years
and especially in the last eight months
Immense sums of money have been spent
in building railroads, bridges and other
works to improve transportation routes
and build industries. This was especially
the case at Dalny. the port about forty
miles from Port Arthur. which has not
only been greatly improved. but well forti-
fed. This port is in the leased territory
which was discussed in correspondence
between the United States and Russian
governments in 1899. When Russia leased
for twenty-five years certain Chinese ports
| assurances were given Amba ssador Hitch
cock that the open door would be main
tanned.
Open Door Assurances.
TO make this more emphatic Secretary
Hay Sept 9Th addressed letter to Am
bassador Tower calling attention to the
| categorical assurances given his prede-
cessor by Russia when she leased the
ports of Port Arthur, Talien- wan and the
| adjacent territory in the Lilo Tung pen
| inSula.
On Dec. IS. 1S99 Count Muravcff re-
piled to Mr.. Hays note, saying that the
| imperial government had demonstrated
it's firm intention to follow the policy of
| the "open door, In the same note the
count said that as to other territory the
| fixing of duties belong to China itself and
| 1.-The imperial government has no inten-
tion of claiming privileges for it's own
subjects to the exclusion of other for
eigners.'' ..-.-.
. The count said: THE imperial govern
| mcnt is happy to have complied with the