The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-13
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
Regarding Secretary Hays Note
to the Powers.

Washington. Feb. 13.-The state de-
partment today issued this statement:
After some preliminary exchange of
views between this government and
the government of other powers inter-
ested in the Chinese matters, the de-
partment on the 10th of February sent
the following instructions to the
American representative in ST. Peters,
burg, Toxic and Pekin:
You will express to the minister Of
foreign affairs the earnest desire Of
the government of the United States
that in the course of the military op-
erations which have begun between
Russia and Japan, the neutrality of
China and in all practicable ways her
administrative entity shall be respect
ed by both parties, and that the area
of hostilitfes shall be localized and
mfn1mized as much as possible, so that
undue excitement and disturbance of
the Chinese people may be prevented
and the least possible loss to the com
merce and intercourse Of the world will
be occaSiOned John HAY
AT the same time the government
Informed all the powers signatory of
the protocol of Pekin of its action and
requested similar action on their part"
NO answers to the above note in ad-
dition to those received up to yester-
day have been received at the state
department. There is a hint that Aus
tria will seek to avoid any particpia-
ton in the proposed representation to
! the belligerents on the ground that she
has small concern in the matter but
no formal answer has been had from
! her. England wants a more definite
| statement of the purpose and scope of
the note. Secretary Hay is dis1nclined
| to yield this wish. He thinks that it
would be impossible to get the powers
| together if an attempt is made to very
exactly define the purpose of concur
rent action.
| So as to Manchuria the question is
1TFf IL
not China administration is or is not in
force in that war-swept territory. That
is why the term administrative en-
/ tity'' was used in Secretary Hays note
II is a question of fact to be determined
/ later OF whether or not China does pos
| sess administrative entity in Man
churia. This suspicion engendered by
| the issue of the note is inexplicable tC
the authorities here. It 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 Pekin of the Chinese court if it
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
flight would certainly be a general up
rising against foreigners that might
result in massacres. And the end would
be perhaps the disruption of China. In
this event, it is believed here that the
neutral powers would make off with
the lions share. the belligerents being
too much occupied to prevent them.
This conviction on the part of officials
here causes them to freely express the
opinion that Russia viii be guilty of q
grave mistake if she rejects Secretary
Hays proposals. But if she does so il
is said that there will be no attempt
made on our part to secure through
force of arms, the purposes stated il
4 the note, in other words, the United
States is not to be dragged into hostili-
| ties in the east,