The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-30
CONGER WAS MISINFORMED.
RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR SPEAKS
 ON MANCHURIAN INCIDENT.

Assures Secretary Hay That American
 Interests Wiii be Thoroughly safe-
 guavted-Eatter of tho Keenest Re-
 gret to His Government That Unreiia-
 bIe Parties Should Have Given
 Wrong Statements 60 MT. Conger.
 Washington, April 29.-Russia' part in what has come to be known as the Manchurian incident was explained this evening by Count Cassini, the Rus sian ambassador, to a representative of the Associated Press, and because Of the conflicting reports which have come to Washington regarding the Russian Chinese negotiations at Pekin, Count Cassini has consented to the publication of the interview. For five years the Russian minister to China, Count Cas- sini, is recognized authority on con- ditions there. His successful negotia- tion of the Manchurian treaty to which Russia owes largely the prestige she now holds in that territory gove Count Cassini recognition as a world diplomat before he came to Washington in 1898 as Russia's first ambassador to the United States. = .".
 Of the Manchurian incident and more especially of it's relation to the United States and Russia the ambassador said tonight: afh .s'
 Acting under instructions from my government have officially assured the secretary of state not only that Ameri- can interests in Manchuria trade and industry, will be thoroughly safeguard ed, so far as Russia is concerned, but also of the unfortunate erroneousness contained in Minister Conger's dispatch several days ago from Pekin relative to the course of Russia in Manchuria.
 Tt is a matter of the keenest regret to my government that unreliable par ties should have informed your minister at Pekin on a matter of which they were evidently grossly ignorant. And simultaneously with my call upon Sec retary Hay, the foreign office at St. Petersburg gave similar assurances to your ambassador there, MT. Mccormick
 Because of the long standing and genuine friendliness which without ex- ception has characterized the relations of these two great countries as we'll as in recognition of the frankness with which your secretary of state has dealt with my government in all diplomatic matters. it was a pleasure for the for eign office to assure the United States regarding international negotiation which were pending with another power even though in so doing all diplomatic precedent WAS broken"
 The state department has received a dispatch from Ambassador McCormick at St. Petersburg, to the effect that the Russian minister for foreign affairs has assured him that the published re- ports of the proposed convention be- tween Russia and China relating to Manchuria are absolutely incorrect. and that there is no foundation for the re- port that Russia demands that China shall refuse the requests of the other powers for treaty ports and consuIates in Manchuria. He has been assured that the Russia government has no intention to exclude other countries from ad- vantages now enjoyed in Manchuria, or to confer exclusive privileges upon Rus sians; that the United States may be sure that nothing will be done to close doors now open. and that American commerce and American capital are those which Russia most desires to at- tract. It is understood also that simi- lar assurances were received by the sec retary of state from the Russian am- bassador yesterday afternoon.