The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-08
| is Her Ultimate Intention to
 Surrender ManChuria
COUNT LAMSDORFF EXPLAINS
He Says Russia VIII Not Only Restore ManchurIa to China, But Will With draw Troops Fre-a Province
 When Practicable.


 series of diplomatic exchanges in the cur rent volume of foreign relations now In print. is given the text or a communica- tion addressed by Ambassador Tower 10 the Russian foreign office relative to the announcement that China was about to sign an agreement with the Russo-Chinese bank whereby valuable exclusive privileges were to be secured by that institution. The note brought forth the important declara- tion from Count Lamsdorff, minister for foreign affairs, that Russia proposed to restore Manchuria to China, and would recall her troops from that province, and that there were no intention to interfere with the "open door arrangement MT. Towers note to the Russian minister fol- lows:
 "In obedience to instructions, which l have received from the government Of the United States, I have the honor to in- form your excenency that the Ameri- can minister to China has reported in a telegram recently received at Washington that Prince Ching has agreed to sign the Manchurlan convention and also sub sequent convention with the Russo Chinese bank upon which exclusive privi- leses of industrial deveIopment in Man churia are to be granted to that bank.
 q am instructed to say that the gov ernment of the United States could look only with concern upon any arrangement by which China should extend to a cor porate company the exclusive right, within it's territory, to open mines, construct rail- ways and to exert other industrial privi- leges.
 Would Hurt China.
 ''It is the belief of the government of the United States that by permitting or creating monopoly of this character China would contravene the treaties which 1t has already entered into with foreign powers and would injure the rights of American citizens by restricting legitimate trade; also that such action would lead to the impairment of Chinese sovereignty and tend to diminish the abil- ity of China to meet it's obligations. Other powers as well might seek similar ad- vantages in different parts of the Chinese empire and would destroy the policy of equal treatment of all nations in regard to the navigation and commerce through out China.
 q am further instructed to convey to your excellency the sentiment of the United States government that the acquir- ing by any one power or exclusive privi- leges in China for Its subjects or own commerce would be contradictory to the assurances repeatedly given by the im- perial Russian ministry for foreign affairs to the United States of the intention of the Russian government to maintain the policy of the "open door, in China as that policy has been advocated by the United States and accepted by all the powers who have commercial interests within the Chinese empire.
 T am to assure you that the govern ment of the United States is now, as it has always been heretofore. animated by the desire to secure for all nations en- tirely equal intercourse with China, and I am instructed to present to your excel lency the request that the imperial Rus sian government will give due attention to the foregoing consideration, which has also been addressed to the Chinese government and express to your excel lency the hope that such measures of procedure may be adopted as will allay the apprehension of the government of the United States"
 Lamsdorffs Reply.
 Following is the reply of Count Lams- dorff:
 The imperial government of Russia always desirous of cultivating and devel- oping the best relations with the United States, is fully disposed to remove the anxiety which the proposed arrange ments between Russia and China appear to have caused the cabinet at Washing ton. but it feels itself bound at the same time to declare that negotiations carried on between two entirely independ- ent states are not subjects to be sub mitted to the approval of other pow CTS.
 There is no thought of attacking the principle of the open door as that prin- ciple Is understood by the imperial gov ernment of Russia, and Russia has no in- tention whatever to change the policy followed by her in that respect up to the present time
 "If the Russo Chinese bank should ob- tain concessions In China, the agreements of private character relating to them would not suffer with those heretofore closed by so many other foreign corpor- ations. But would it not be very strange if the door that is open to certain nations should be closed to Russia whose frontier adjoins that of Manchuria and who has been forced by recent events to send her troops into the province to re- establish order in the plain and common interest of all nations? It Is true that Russia has conquered Manchuria, but she still maintains her firm determination to restore 1t to China and recall her troons as soon as the conditions of evacuation shall have been agreed upon and the necessary steps taken to prevent a fresh outbreak of trouble in the neighboring territory"