Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-04-30


strucicd system OF railroads to all
strategic points connecting with the
main line of the Great Siberian rail
road, which comes down to the sea at
| Port Arthur The latter city Is n Rus
/ sian naval station. and has been forti-
| Ned until II Is one OF the strongest
| positions in the East A Drank line OF
the railway runs to Pcking and other
/ branches to all the cities and towns
| which have any military or CONNER
/ ciul importance. These railways are
all fortified There Is Russian garri-
son NJ nearly every station, and at con
yenicnt points fortiications have been
erected to protect the bases of sup
! There Is perhaps no place In all of the
Russian dominions 80 strongly defend
ed as Manchuria from interference of
Boxers and native rioters and to keep
open communication
Having thus obtained physical con
troll of Manchuria, the Russians now
demand that It shall be legallzed, and
that the Chinese government shall
agree that no new ports In Manchuria
shall be- opened 10 foreign trade; that
the territory; that no foreign officials
shall be employed In Manchuria; that
the receipts Of the Chinese customs
houses In Manchuria shall be deposit
ed In n Russian bank; that permission
he granted to place Russian wires
upon Chinese telegraph poles, and I'm
ally. that no other territory of China
be alicnated TO foreign power The
Russian minister at Peking has noti-
6ed the Chinese officials at Pelting
that his government will retain pos
session Of Manchuria until these de.
mands have been complied with, but
that is mn empty threat II China
should agree 70 all of them II would
not strengthen the position OF Russia
In Manchuria 1t would only legalize
H. The Russian authorities have
everything they wan, there and will
keep II This demand simply means
that China shall give formal assent
and confirm the right OF Russia 10
what she has already seized aud done.
China appeals To the other powers
for assistance hnd protection, but II is
not likely they vii do anything be
would he hopeless and would provoke
nu almost universal war England and
Japan have an alliance. offensive and
defensive and Japan would like TO ut
tack Russia but England is holding
her back England is In no shape for
a foreign war and does not care to
become involved In eastern complica.
lions Just nt present She has eXpec-
tatlpnB In China. Germany is well
satisfied with the situation. because In
the province OF Shan Tung she is do.
Ing Just what Russia has done in Man.
churln and vii be glad of precedent.
In few years you win hear that the
German emperor has made n similar
demand upon the Chinese government
concerning the Province of Shang
Tung, which is quite as important
from military and commercial stand
point as Manchuria. France will not
interfere because she is doing exactly
the same thing In kwang-si. the south
erumost province OF China. which joins
the French colony of Tonquin and you
may expect that England will follow
the example of Russia. Germany and
territory In the valley OF the Yang-tse.
which is the most prosperous and pop
uolous of all the empire.
The United States is left out. The
traditional policy of our government
VIII not permit the president either
to Interfere or demand slice of the
Chinese watermelon The only thing
We can do is to demand equal rights
and privileges In all these spheres
Of Influence" and we have already re
cclycd pledges over and over again
from Russia ON that score These
pledges have been conveyed orally and
in writing by the Russian ambassador
In Washington TO the secretary of
state. and by the minister of foreign
relations To the American ambassador
At ST. Petersburg There has been
confidential correspondence on the
subject and the Russian government
has NOT misunderstood the attitude of
he United States towards It's aggres-
'i,e policy in China. II has conceded
,gain and again in the plainest terms
'omiacrcial rights and privileges to
American merchants in Manchuria
equrl to those enjoyed by Russian
merchants, and as we are not seeking
territorial advantages. our govern
mcnt can ask for nothing more.
China has however. appealed to the
United States for protection. but all
the secretary OF state can do is TO
communicate that fact to Russia.
which. of course, is merely an empty
formility. The exact terms in which
this communication may be framed
win not be decided upon until Secre-
tnry Hay has had an opportunity to
cunf'r with the president.
CHEYENNE. wyo.. DeForest Rich
ards the self.made governor OF Wyo-
ming, died this morning at o'clock,
surrounded by his family after an i'll
ness OF two weeks
Governor Richards was born In
Charleston. y. II, August 6. 1876. His
ance tors landed at Cape Cod in 1880.
and always took n prominent part in
New England history.
Co crnor Richards was the son of
DeFCrest and Harriet Richards. His