Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-18
RUSSIA AND CHIN
RESULT OF THE MUSCoVITE'S IN
TRIGUES AT PEKING.
A Faction at the Chinese Capital Pre-
vents United Action Against Ag-
erosion In Manchuria.

To the Editor OF The Evening Star;
Referring to your editorial in The Star
| of the 18th CAST evening", on Our Treaty
With China" the following extract from a
letter from the east may interest our
readers. 1t was written under date of No
vember 49, 1908. from Shanghai, by a MEM
Der OF the faculty of the Anglo-Chinese
College, and no doubt reflects the state of
affairs as seen by the man on the spot"
who knows whereof he speaks:
NO doubt the papers keep your readers
well informed as to the progress of events
In the far east. We have been on the qui
vfve for several weeks now. looking for war
between Russia and Japan over the Ques-
ton Of the evacuation Of Manchuria by
tho former. Just recently also China has
been on the point. apparently. of declaring
war against Russia: and yet matters are,
SO far as IL known, as far from settlement
as ever. If by any possible means the
Chinese government could be induced to
take a firm stand 1t is generally believed
among the foreign community in China
that Russia would back down and give up
the Manchurian provinces without any
further struggle; but several years ago the
leading statesmen Of China, led by Ii Hung
Chang, entered into secret agreement
with the then Russian minister at Picking
10 allow tHo ftuBsldu occupation OF Man.
churias these statesmen aforesaid receiving
q large sum Of Russian money to pay them
for their trouble in selling their country.
The time has now come for Russia to
she intends to hold on to what she has got
1t is this deliberate treason and bribe-
taking on the part OF Chna's leading men
that has brought the country to the verge
Picking government. One led by Prince
Ching, which is in favor of Russia and ia
no doubt, still receiving Russian money,
whose object 1t is to allow Russia to have
full possession of Manchuria. The other
party led by Ma Tung, president of the
ministry of foreign affairs. and the two
viceroys. Yuan Shin Kali and Chang Chin
Tung, is strongly In favor of resisting
Russia to the full extent OF its power
This second party 10 apparently now in the
ascendant and we are expecting every day
to hear that China has thrown her lot in
with Japan and decided to resist Russia at
all hazards. If China could be persuaded
to do this there would still be some hope
for the country: otherwise disintegration
and absorption by the leading powers Of
the west is the inevitable fate that awaits
this old empire"
Why should tho United States assume as
the basis Of our rights in Manchuria that
Russia has anything to do with us7 Is II
because Russia has built railroad and
leased a port or two from China and be-
haved herself 80 dastardly toward the ma
tons as to require a small army of soldiers
to police her property That Is about all
that 1t amounts to. The assurances Of
Count Cassini were based on false premises
which Russia has all along been laboring
to establish. namely. that Russia and not
China has to be reckoned with in the future
of north China. There is no warrant in
the history of American diplomacy for any
such procedure, and 1t is not in the Ameri-
can nature to take advice as to our Chinese
relations from Russia over the shoulders
of China After destroying the greater
part Of our trade in North China, 1t Ia
nothing less than rank impertinence, lily
disguised at that, for Russia to assure us
that our interests will be safe in her hands
Russia is the stranger of free enterprise
as 1t is known In the nations of western
Europe and in America. Wherever here
suzerainty goes she blasts economic sue
cess with the poison of her Unsuitable bu-
reaucracy. Commerce and industry with her
know nothing of the virility of Individual
initiative. Therefore American enterprise
In North China can no more count on the
gratuitous pretensions of Russia for sue
cess than the lamb can rest in the presence
of the wolf. Let not the United States pro-
coed on any such simple and silly assump-
ton, but let the President send the best
consular timber to Mukden and Antung
he can possibly find. Let him lay upon
them the necessity of restoring and expand
ing our trade, giving notice at once to Rus
STA that If she tries the game of tampering
with China in the recognition Of our full
measure of treaty rights Russia will have
the United States and China to reckon with,
and that at no distant day.
PUBLIC OPINION