The San Francisco call., 1904-03-19
CHINESE NEUTRALITY.

T is reported that Russia has ordered the Chinese
| out OF the Chinese town of Mukden. with the in
i tention of occupying it with Russian garrison
Mukden is in Chinese territory and administration
Russia has had territorial jurisdiction nor SOW
ereigny there The best evidence OF this Is that the
United States has treaties with China covering Mukden
as Chinese port and providing for American Consul
there whose exequatur has be issued by the Chinese
Governments
Mukden is not very far from Peking and would be a
valuable Russian base for attack the capital Its
occupancy by the forces of the Gar is an intimidation
of the Chinese Government 1t is probable that this,
and similar acts will be indulged in by Russia, to force
China into resistance then the claim will be made
from St Petersburg that China has violated neutrality
Russia is past master in such tactics and may not
be expected omit their in the present struggle
for control of Eastern Asia Her policy is of
peration, force the other party into an overt act
If it do not succeed in this then the foothold she
has gained by craft is made permanent In dealing with
countries she has overrun in her toward
Eastern ASIA she has pursued this of occupy
ing what does belong to her and then treating
sistance act of aggression to be punished by
every cruelty that her Cossacks can iniict
The United States has sought through Mr. Hays note
the powers protect China against these tactics,
and remains be whether the nations interested
in the autonomy of China will be istess spectators of
such aggressions as will destroy China if not resisted
and will furnish Russia an subvert that
pre if resisted.
AS an administrative entity China has sovereignty of
Mukden. If the Japanese had occupied it there would
be an immediate protest from ST. Petersburg and the
nations would be compelled take notice. Japan may
not choose to protest. leaving that the Governments
which accepted Mr. Hays note. 1t would be tactics
for Japan let the Russian violation of Chinese neu-
tralty become apparent permitting resistance of China
develop into defensive which would amount
involving China in the struggle This would create
diversion of value to Japan provided that China could
sufficient force offer effective resistance OF
this, however there may be doubt. The outside world
knows but little about the armament and military
capacity of China, but she is supposed to be weak,
except in the number of her people. The
Chinese fight, when they have to- and given proper
and discipline could be sufficiently formidable to
keep Russia busy for time.
As the important foreign affairs of China are
in charge of WI Ting Fang, the diplomatic part
will be conducted by him with great intelligence for he
has experience greater than other Chinese states
since Ii Hung Chang He has the ability to make
the Western nations any controversy which
Russian aggression efrontery may involve the
empire.
In the judgment of Americans, who act from their
convictions of what human liberty means. without
prejudice engendered by collateral issues, the
struggle between Russia and Japan appears conflict
between absoutism and representative government
Wherever the Russian standard is planted stands "the
scepter that ends with cmeter and the that ends
with knOu 1t is absolutism, the retrogressivc
and opposed to the spirit of the age. The institutions
of China democratic by comparison.
1t the belief of Bonaparte that the Russian spirit
would change and it has changed since his
time. Since the Italian campaign every Continental Gov
ernment except Russia has been lberazed by the
of parliamentary institutions through which the people
have voice in their Government. 1t step for
ward in the enlargement of the protection of
rights. Only Russia stands where the savage Rurik
placed her. This gives her certain advantage in such
adventures she is attempting in Eastern Asia. Her
Government being auocratic and executive does not
of fighting for the Gar for II month and found
and of dying for system that keeps them in ignorance
and degradation.
Such Government cannot be questioned at home
and carries its methods abroad with eonfdence It's
proposition to Chinese territory as a base is one
result If any nation with Parliament and popular rep
resentaon did such thing its administration would be
questioned. is done in the British Parliament our
Congress and the legislative bodies of Continent
But the mobiles, who control the Gar permit M
inquiry and have questions answer unless they are
asked by other nations. We will see whether Mukden
will provoke inquiry from any quarter
San Francisco has within her gates the first assign
of Filipino soldiers of the United States to cross
the seas They seem to be surprised at us and we