New-York tribune., 1904-08-21
CHINESE NEUTRALITY.
Her anomalous P6sition-The Jan
anese ViezC.

TOXIC Aug. 2O.-The Japanese government to-
DAY gave TO The Associated Press statement
oehning its attitude in the capture of the Rye
shiteni and declaring Its position on the entire
question of Chinese neutrality as follows
me status of China in the present struggle is
,ionl nOny UNIQUE. Nearly all the military opera
eiohs are carried on within her borders She Is
not party to the conflict nevertheless her ter
Tltorles are in part belligerent and in part neu-
ttdi Inat condition of things In the contemr Ia
llon OF international law is an anomaly and a
contradiction. In this case 1t is a creature of a
special understanding to which the bellieerents
nave given adhesion with a view to limiting the
area of hostities in the interest of foreign inter
course and the general tranquility of China.
Inc Japanese government engaged to respect
the neutrality of China outside of the regions
actually involved in war provided that Russia
nlaue similar engagement and carried 1t out
III sood ialth The Japanese government con-
s1dered that they were precuded by this en-
sasement from occupying making use for
War1ke purposes of any kind the territory or
ports of China outside of the zone which has
peen made the theatre of war, because it seemed
10 them that any such occupation would ipse
Lacto, convert the places thus occupied and used
from neutrality to belligerent territory II
equally seemed to them that any such occupa-
tlon and use of neutral Chinese territory or
por's py the russian forces would give effect to
the proviso in the Japanese engagement and
justify her in considering territory or ports so
occupied and used as belgerent
In other words the Japanese government held
Ihat emma S neutrality is imperfect and appli-
capie only to those places which are not occu-
pled Dy the armed forces of either bellgerent
dIIu RUSSIA cannot escape the consequences of an
unsuccessful war by moving its army or navy
in'o tnose portions of China which by arrange
ment had been made conditionally neutral
A Russian warShip from Port Arthur sought
IN the harbor of Che-Foo an asylum from attack
Mhlch her nome port had ceased to afford her
IN taxing that step she guilty of a breach
or the neutrality of China as esta tablished by the
agreement Of the belligerents and japan was
Iully justified in regarding the harbor of Che
roo as belligerent so far the incident in oues-
lon Is concerned. With the termination of tho
mcldent the neutrality of the port was revived
The action taken by Japan at Che Foo was a
dlrect natural consequence of Russia's dIsrega rd
OF her engagement, but ii is alone in this
matter nor alone in the Che-Foo matter that
RUSSIA has Hagrantly violated China's neutral
lty ana ignored her own engagements Shortly
after the investment and isolation of Port Ar
stalled between the beleaguered fortress and the
russian Consulate a. Che-Foo. The system Is
sun IN operation. Notwithstanding the repeate ed
protests OF the japanese government
AT Shanghai at the beginning of the war the
RUSSIAN gunboat Mandiur, in defiance of China's
neutrality remained in the port for weeks after
receiving notice 70 leave there Finally after
long negotiations, she consented to dIsarma-
:nent
Again. the Russian cruiser AskoId and the
destroyer Grozovoi have now been at Shanghai
for more than a week and still refuse TO dis
arm or leave port.
Ihe japanese government has no intention of
disregardng China's neutrality so long as II Is
respected by Russia, but they cannot consent
that Russian warships. as a result of a broken
engagement and violated neutrality shall nm
chaHenged, ind I'm the harbor of China safe
refuge from capture or destruction.