The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-12
MANCHURIAN
AFFAIRS MEND
Tension Is Relaxed by Contradiction
Of the Report Of Russian
Reoccupation.
Great Britain, However, Continues
to Evidence Uneasiness at the
Bears Course.
Lord Cranborne's Statement that the
United States Formally Pro
tested Is Denied.

q r
Washington, May 12.-Russia's prompt
withdrawal of the troops which were re-
ported to have reoccupied Nil-chuang has
had the effect of clearing the interna-
tional situation. But while relief Is felt
here. suspicion of Russias purposes has
not passed and there are many men Of
prominence in governmental and diplo-
matte circles who believe that the respite
from the real crisis over Manchuria will
be exceedingly brief.
Officials in a position to know every
move made by this government professe6
to be surprised over the statement made
yesterday In the house of commons by
Viscount Cranborne that friendly com
munications on the subject of the alleged
reoccupation of Niu-chuang had been ad.
dressed to Russia by the United States
as we'll as by Great Britain. acting indie
I pendently, in the last few days, and thai
there had been renewal from ST. Peters.
Durg OF the assurances that altho tenn
porarily delayed in accomplishing it's pur.
pose Russia intended to adhere to her en-
gagements to evacuate Manchuria. Ar
official Of the very highest standing de-
clared that Russia had not been asked
for an explanation and had not offered
any.
cranborne's Mistake.
It is supposed that Lord Cranborne must
have enormously attributed to the Nu-
this government ten days ago, when Mr.
Conger, the United States minister at
Picking. reported that Russia was seeking
to make an agreement with China which
would give her exclusive privileges that
would injure the United States
There are people here who see signs of
suspicious friendship between England and
Russia in Chinese affairs. They hold that
In the recent furries about Manchuria
and Niu- chuang England did not lend that
moral support to Japan which was to
have been expected from nation having
treaty OF alliance with the far eastern
power.
Retirement Was Inevitable.
London May 12.-Russia's abandonment
of her aggressive attitude in regard to
Manchuria was inevitable. 1t had never
been the intention of the Russian gov
eminent to press to the point of war It's
pretensions In Manchuria outlined in the
so-calfed terms of evacuation submitted
to China, 1t was hoped that opposition
to these demands would be confined to
formal protests from Great Britain and
Japan, and that bluff would do the rest.
Serious interference by the United States
was utterly unexpected. while the great
national indignation which the trick
aroused In America amazed we'll nigh
dumbfounded the Russian officials It
required two or three days for st. Peters
burg to realize the full significance of
American public opinion. The moment it
was understood the Russian policy was
: reversed III.
It Is too late for Russia's renewal of
pledges to gain any credence either in
Great Britain or the United States. She
will be judged now only by her acts and
not by her words. There was ample rea-
son for the Russian retreat besides the
1nVincfble Anglo-Saxon opposition with
which she was confronted
Russia In Trouble at Home.
The latest news concerning the inter-
nal condition of Russia is of a most Sc
rious character The danger of an in
surrectiopary movement is. perhaps
greater than ever before and the situation
is growing worse daily. Thus it IS easy
to believe that Russia is unable to Sc
riously threaten any great power. It is
conceivable, perhaps. that she will seek
relief from the tension by carving on a.
campaign In the Balkans and Turkey in
the hope of distracting attention from her
domestic grievances, but war with the
United States. Great Britain and japan
or any one of them is out Of the question.
ne American government may proceed
TO demand stronger guarantees than prom
1ses that every treaty right In the terri
tory now occupied by Russia shall be fully
protected. The European powers as many
Journals have sarca stically pointed out
during the past few days, have long since
learned to regard Russian pledges as val
ueless. It Is within the power of the Wash
ington government to change all t,is
Russias word, when given to America
can be made as good as Russia's bond.
Firm 1nsistence on this point will suffice
to establish this novel standard Such
diplomacy may be of the shirt sleeve va
riety. but it will conduce to future good
relations between the two countries.
Port Treaty Endangered.
dispatch to the London Times from
Shanghai says that the Chinese revision
commissioners were recently instructed
cuss further with the American commits
sioners article IL of the proposed new
commercial treaty referring to opening
places in Manchuria to foreign trade me-
gotiations on this point being inadvisa BILE
owing to the attitude and action of the
Russian government The Chinese COM
mfssioners rejecting the timorous indie
cison of Picking, suggested that the mat
ter was one for settlement by the inter-
change OF dispatches rather than for in
clusion In a formal treaty. The policy of
the United States as intinnated in instruc-
tions to the American commissioners, re-
mains firm, relying upon the good faith
OF the Russian assurances in reference to
maintenance of the treaty rights of the
powers In Manchuria.
Manchurla Open to Travel. i
Picking. May 12.-The Russian charge,
M. Plancon, has given reassurances re-
garding Manchuria. He has issued an Of
fetal notice that all Manchuria is open to
foreign travel and adds that passports are
no longer necessary.
There were 500 Russian soldiers at
N1u- chuang who were removed about the
date fixed for the evacuation Later the
same number returned. 1t appears that
the Russian force, which returned to the
;Liao forts, merely used the forts as tenn
porary resting places. while journeying
southwark to their station on the PENN
sula Fl
The United States consul at Niu- ch,1ang
has arrived here to confer with Minister
Conger.