The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-07-17
OPEN DOOR IN MANCHURIA
CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO DEs-
 IGNATE TREATY PORTS.

Russia Not to Make Opposltion-EsgotI-
 ations Brought Into Present shape by
 Secretary Hay and Ambassador Cassini
 Last Month.
 Washington. July 16.-The Manchuri- an question has been settled satisfacto- rily to this government. Assurances have been received from the Chinese government that it will, in the near fu- ture, open as treaty ports several ports now closed to the worlds trade. The Russian government has conveyed for nal assurances to the United States government that it will not in any way oppose such opening.
 While the ports to be opened are not yet specified. it is gathered. from the communications received, that they are Mukden. She principal inland port of Manchuria. and Ia Funk Kao. at the mouth of the Yalu river.
 The state department is highly gati- fled at this outcome. feeling that 1t has secured not only for American com- merce, but for the commerce of the world at large very substantial gain.
 Although no set time is mentioned in the promise to open the ports, it is be- lieved that this will follow soon after the Russian evacuation in September.
 The negotiations which have termin- ated so successfully to-day. so far as broad line are concerned (for only de- tails remain to be adjustedl, were prac-# tically brought to their present phase. by Secretary Hay and Count Cassini at a meeting at the Russian embassy on June 2S. the day before the secretary departed for Newport, for the embassa- dor then had in hand the necessary au- thorization from his own government to make the pledges which are now in process of redemption. These pledges were reduced to writing by MT. Han son, the Russian charge, during his call at the state department to-day. It now remains for MT. Conger to define in the trade treaty which he is negotiating with the terms and conditions under which the new ports are to be opened.
 It may be stated that had the United States government cared to pursue a selfish policy in this matter it might easily have secured promises of special privileges from Russia, but Secretary Hay has held to the broader doctrine of the open door in Manchuria for the whole world.
 It is learned that the meeting of Rus- sian officials at Port Arthur just con- cluded, was but one of the steps, though an important one, which the St. Peters burg government had planned in exc cution of it's purpose to place matters of internal administration in Manchuria in such condition that the ports desired by the United States and Japan could be opened to trade without causing dis turbance. or involving undue sacrifice of proper Russian interests. It already had been represented that much of the friction that had grown out of the Man. churian question was caused by a sort of triple yet independent administration of affairs in Manchusia, by representa- lives of different branches of the Rus sian government. The result was that one official would not feel bound by the pledges made by another. so that foreign nations complained of bad faith. It is understood that now, following the Port Arthur conference, a compact and responsible direction of affairs has been arranged for and orders issued from St Petersburg are certain to meet with speedy and exact compliance.
 Respecting the two ports mentioned as likely to be opened, namely, Mukden and Ia Tung Kao, it may be said that both politically and from a trade point of view the latter point is likely to prove the more important, though the place is now so little known that the name is not to be found on many of the best charts. It lies on the right bank of the Yalr river. not far from it's mouth. and close to 1t is the oKrean town of Weju, an important trade cen- ter. which undoubtedly will prove trib- utary to the new port At present Ia Tung Kao does not amount to much, but rapid development is looked for as soon as it becomes a treaty port. At first the United States sought to have Taku-sfan made the open port in this part of Manchuria, but the Japanese fa- vored Ia Tung Kao. and the United States acquiesced when it appeared that the latter is open all the year around, while Takushan is closed by ice during several winter months.