New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-26
vUr covrDY OF YEUTRlLITr.

14o,-,r and TI1deIlrand are at 81 again or their
/ erfo-5s arc ga rLe!r behalf EXAMINATIONS ana
determinations are being banded between 'uSs
and Ian, The provocative issue Is now not tue
responsihility for the war, but the heulIAl''
of china. This both beligeronts profess 10 De
DESTROYS Of maintaining and respecting bu1
the Russians are calling heaven ana edrlh To
witness that the japanese are planning WICKED
~ and feloniously 10 violate H. and lncdeiilaly
10 break faith with the United States Whlle Il
not from japanese at least from anu-Russian
and assumably pro-Japanese sources comes 4
counter complaint that the Russians are actu-
ally violating il In such cases II sometimes
bappeus that the charges on both sides are true
and sometimes that they are false. In the
present case we are inclined TO think they are
at any rate not well founded.
The Chinese territory in question, the neutral
fly of which the Russians are said 10 be violat-
ing and the japanese 10 be about 70 violate, Is
that southwestern arm Of Manchuria which ex-
tends from the Lao River down the western
side Of the Liao-Tong Gulf 10 the Great Wall
at Shan-Hai-K wan The Russians are said 10
be sending armed patrols into Il, aud the Japan
csc to be planning the landing OF an army IN
il somewhere near Shan-Hai-Kwan. Now, this
seems certain. that if they are sending armed
patrols into IL the Russians themselves are not
treating Il as neutral ground and therefore can
not charge the japanese with violating neutral
ity II they invade it. If the Russians have
right 70 go thither and 10 be there, the Japan
csc have the same right. So 81 the reports from
New-Chwang about the Russians are true the
Russian charges Of bad faith against the Japan
csc fan to the ground.
Moreover. whether the Russians arc or are
not treating that as neutral ground there Hp-
pears 10 be no convincing reason for regarding
ii as such. Russia has intimated that China
should keep her troops within the Great Wall
In that case all outside the wall would be beig-
erent ground, and this territory is outside the
wall. Again. Russia has been occupying all
Manchuria, her withdrawal from this bit Of It
In October, 1902. being nominal rather than
actual, and therefore all Manchuria IS 10 he re-
garded as helligcrent ground; and this territory
is part Of Manchuria. The simple fact that the
/ Russian Nicer0y has prescribed other limits for
/ the scene OF war does not matter. II is not for
! one belligerent 10 say what the other bpUiger-
/ ent SHAH or shall not do I'm relation 60 some
! u'lrd power. Russia was understood 10 be IN
/ Slslenl upon the exclusion of Manchuria from
/ we part OF china which, according TO Secretary
! nay proposal was o. he held neutral. Well.
] lIs SUPP from 1ing-kow around 10 Sb9n-Hai-
hWan, Is part Of the Manchuria which she
! NlsAeu 10 have thus excluded. While We homo
/ 20 see 'Ae war Kept within the narroucst pos
elole compass we mnst say that the invasion
u lllat particular region by Russian patrols or
DS japanese army would scarcely seem n Ms
d violation Of Chinese neutrality or "a hreal-l,,
u l"llh WIN the American government