Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-13
This Governments Effort to
Limit 1t as Much as Possible.
INSTRUCTIONS SENT
DESIRE MADE KNOWN To REPRE-
sENTATIvEs OF CoMBATANTS.
Powers Signatory of the Peking Pro-
tocol Informed of the
Action Taken.

The State Department today issued this
statement:
After some preliminary exchange of
views between this government and the
governments of other powers interested in
Chinese matters, the department on the 10th
of February sent the following instruction
to the American representative in st. Pc
tersburg. Tokyo and Picking:
You will express to the minister for for
eign affairs the earnest desire of the gov
ernment of the United States that in the
course of the military operations which
have begun between Russia and Japan the
neutrality of China and in all practicable
ways her administrative entity shall be re-
spected by both parties and that the area
of hostilities shall be localized and limited
as much as possible, so that undue excite
ment and disturbance of the Chinese people
may be prevented and the least possible loss
to the commerce and peaceful intercourse
"'(Signed) JOHN HAY
"At the same time this government in
protocol al Peking of it's action. and re-
quested similar action on their part"
No Additional Replies.
No replies to the above note in addition to
those received up to yesterday have been
TcCciNcQ dl lHc oldtc 1Icpdl uc dt-
titude of France IN delaying is easily under
stood; naturally she seeks to ascertain what
Russia, her natural ally, would have her do.
There is a hint that Austria will seek to
avold any participation in the proposed rep
resentaton to the belligerents on the
ground that she has small concern in the
matter but no formal reply has been had
from her.
The English attitude of delaying in max
ing answer is supposed here to be based
upon standing suspicion of any overture
originating with Germany. England wants
more definite statement of the purpose
and scope of the note. Secretary Hay is dis
inclined to yield to this wish. He thinks
that 1t would be impossible to get the
powers together IL an attempt Is made to
very exactly define the purpose of the con-
current action. So. as to Manchuria, the
question is left open purposely as to wheth-
er or not Chinese administration Is or is not
in force In that war-swept territory. That
is why the term administrative entity
was used IN Secretary Hays note. It is
question of fact to be determined perhaps
later on whether or not China does possess
administrative entity In Manchuria.
Suspicion Inexplicable.
The suspicion engendered by the issue Of
the note Is inexplicable to the authorities
here. 1t is declared that the government
has been animated by the most simple and
direct purposes and has tried to express
that fact in its note. There is grave danger
of the flight from Peking of the Chinese
court If 1t is not speedily convinced that
there is no danger of an invasion of China
by one or the other of the belligerents
The State Department has been warned by
China itself that the result of this fight
would certainly be a general uprising
against foreigners that might result in ter
rible massacres. And the end would be-
perhaps. the disruption of China.
There would be a resulting division of
r1nn f1o
1t is the belief here that the neutral DOW
ers would make off with the lions share
the belligerents being too much occupied to
prevent 1t. This conviction on the mart of
officials here causes them to freely express
the opinion that Russia will be guilty of
the grayest mistake she has yet made in
connection with the Chinese problem If she
rejects Secretary Hays proposal But IL
she does do so 1t is said that there will he
no attempt made on our part to obtain
through force of arms the purposes stated
IN the note; In other words, the United
States is not to be dragged into hostilities
in the east
Note to the Powers.
high official Of the administration has
given these details of the diplomatic steps
which led up to the issuance of Secretary
Hays note:
On February Baron Won Sternburg.
the German ambassador, under instruc-
tions from Berlin, called at the White
House and laid before the President this
proposition: That the powers urge on Rus
sfa and Japan the expedfency of preserv-
ing the peace of mind of the Chinese court
and of respecting the neutrality and en-
tity of administration Of China The Ger
man government invited the United States.
as the power possessing the least political
interest in European and far eastern af-
fairs to issue the invitation. In the event,
however, that this not practicable.
Germany expressed her willingness to take
the initiative.
"The German ambassador called again
conference with the President, to whom
the idea at once appealed as exceedingly
practicable and worthy Of execution Sec
retary Hay arrived in Washington that
night, and had conference with the Pres
ident Immediately after his arrival,
THE next morning the German ambas-
sador called at the Secretarys residence
for conference. 1t was then decided that
probably the invitation could be issued
more. advantageously by this government,
and the notes to the peace and combatant
powers were that day framed. those to
Germany. France and Great Britain being
cabled that night.
Germany made this proposition to the
the other powers. 1t Is said that Russia
had no knowledge in advance of Germany's
intention to take this STEP
'It should be remembered that at the
time the note was issued there was no Of
flcial information that hostilities had ac-
tually begun. This fact necessitated q
slight change in the wording of the tnvi-
tation to the other powers"
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