The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-02-11
RUSSIA'S UNKEPT PROMISES
She Will Not Leave Manchuria-A
Russian Newspaper Expresses the
Sentiment of the Country When Ii
Says Nothing But SimpIetons I'M
agine That She VIII Voluntarily
Abandon Manchuria.
New York Journal OF Commerce.

prefaceS THIS DV the reIldFk ClldU
Manchuria CONSTITUTES the finale OF
Russia's advance Eastward" 1t
| argues Il cynical contempt for the
ordinary restraints of truth that the
Russian government should so un-
blushingly disavow all its previous
assurances on this subject. These
are hardly more than three years
old. They were originally made, with
a great show of formality, and APP
parently simultaneously, by the Rus
sian representatives at European
capitals and in Washing ton on Aug.
%, 1900. The form which the assur-
| ance conveyed to our State Depart
| ment took has been frequently re-
ferred to in these columns. That
| made to the Russian charge in Lon
don, M. Lessar, was even more eX-
t'plicit. He enumerated the following
us the fundamental principles which
Russia had proposed, as a basis OF
| common action, to the other powers
| which had sent troops for the relief
Of the legations in Pekin: l. The
maintenance of the agreement be-
tween the powers; 2. The maintenance
of the existing system OF government
III China; B. The exclusion Of every
thing which might tend to the parti-
ton of the empire; and 4. The estab-
lishment, by common effort, OF a
legitimate central power capable in
itself of assuring order and security
to the country. Having secured an
agreement on these principles, the
Russian government declared that,
| having no other object in view, it
proposed to remain faithful to them
and intended in the future strictly to
adhere to the programme laid down
| therein. NJ. Lessar added that di-
rectly the pacification of Manchuria
was attained, and the necessary
measures taken to insure the secur-
ity of the railroad, Russia would not
fail to withdraw her troops from
Chinese territory, provided that
such action did not meet with OBJ
stacles caused by the proceedings Of
| other powers" The st. Petersburg
| Official Messenger of Oct. /, 1900, re-
ferring to statements which had ap-
peared i'll the foreign press regarding
the alleged annexation by Russia OF
the Manchurian territory bordering
Russia, made the following declara-
ton: 1.-The tasks which the Imperial
Government has in view in the far
East have been very definitely set
forth in official communications, and
the tenor of the latter makes it suffi-
/ 'iently clear that the above men
toned reports OF an incorporation OF
| Manchuria with the territory of the
Russian Empire are devoid of all
foundation"
! How Loyalty Russia was disposed
to observe the tenor Of these com
municatiOns was made sufficiently
obvious within few months of their
delivery. In November, 1900, an
agreement regarding the Southern
province of Manchuria was said to
have been negotiated between the
Russian admiral and commander-in-
chief in the far East, Alexieff, and
Tseng Chi, Tartar General of Mukden,
and was pressed on the acceptance OF
the Chinese government. Among the
provisions of this precious bargain
were these: "Munitions of war in
arsenals not occupied by the Rus
slams must be delivered over in their
entirety to the Russian military Off
Gals. Places which have not been
occupied by Russia, where forts and
defences were erected, must be in
spected by Russian and Chinese Off
cials in conf junction, and in their
presence dismantled. 1t is
eXpedient that a Russian resident
with general powers Of control, should
be stationed at Mukden for the settle
ment of all questions affecting the
two countries arising between the
Tartar General on the one hand and
the Russian cOmmalrler-in-chief il
the Liaotungpeninsul on the other
The Tartar General must give the
Russian resident at Mukden full in
formation respecting any important
measure he may take"
By way of experimenting this
agreement, Russia requested that
Chinese plenipotentiary atSt. Peters
burg to sign an additional conven
ton which effectually disposed O
any slight remnants of sovereignty
that the other may have left to China
: in her three Eastern provinces. Il
was graciously conceded that Chine
might organize infantry and cavalry
for police purposes. but that the
number should be fixed in consulta
ton with Russia, and that artillery
should be entirely excluded. 1t was
expressly provided that China should
not employ the subjects of any Other
power for training her naval anC
military forces in Manchuria China
was not to grant, without the con
sent of Russia. to any other power
or their subjects advantages relative
to mines, railways or other matter:
in the RussO-Chinese frontier prov
inces-namely, Manchuria, Mongolia
kashgar, Yarkand, khotan, anC
Turkestan; Meth r was China tC
construct her own railways in thos,
provinces without the consent o
Russia. Leases of land outside thu
treaty port of Newchwang were MOI
to be granted to the subjects of an,
other power.
1t was as a protest against thi:
proposed convention that Secretar,
Hay addressed his memorandum .t(
the Chinese minister in Washington
on Feb. 10, 1901. In this communi
cation it was pointed out that i,
would be unwise and dangerous il
the extreme for China to make an,
arrangement or to consider any
: proposition of Il private nature in
volving the surrender of territory OF
financial obligations by convention
with any particular power. Still
more specifically, in a note of Feb. 1
J 1902. addressed to the Russian anG
Chinese governments, Mr.. Hay SAID
J that an agreement whereby China
gave any corporation or company
the exclusive right or privilege Of
opening mines, establishing railroads
or in any other way Undesirable do