The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-01-12
RUSSIAN PROMISES.
Powers Are Informed Treaty
Rights Will Be Respected.
DIPLOMATIC HIT At LITTLE JAPAN
WIN Permit All Nations to Represent
Thedr Trade Interests In Manchu-
ria and Observe Open Door For
0Iukden and Newchwung.

| Japan nave had long conference Wltu
the foreign, war and finance ministers
and the chiefs of the army and naval
STATS. The premier was absent from
the conference owing to illness.
The elder statesmen and the prin.
cipal ministers have been SUMMONED
to a conference with the mikado at the
palace.
The Picking correspondent Of the
] Times says that the Chinese minister
at Tokyo has telegraphed to Prince
Ching, president of the Chinese foreign
office, that at the request of the Jap
anese foreign office he made the follow.
ing communication:
1.-The second Russian reply to the
| japanese proposals has been received
at Tokyo, but 1t is unfavorable and
cannot be accepted by Japan, which,
Unless Russia recedes, will be com
PEELED promptly to resort to arms"
The Russian government has inform
ed the powers that 1t will respect fully
the rights which any nation has in
| lAtdAJ WIN Ahllths
This declaration Is made without res
srvation. Russia gives formal express
sion to this policy now In consequence
OF the controversy with Japan, one Of
whose persistent contentious has been
for q definition OF Russia's policy in
MARchuria and an acknowledgment of
JapRn'a trade privileges.
The Russkija Vedomosti Of 81. Pc
tersburg. which reflects the opinion Of
influential merchants and the educated
middle class, says:
1T is more important for Russia to
foster internal developments and hus-
band her resources for weightier pur-
pose than to seek the acquisition OF
yellow Russia, involving enormous ex-
penditures and prohting only adven-
tursrs."
The paper ridicules the reports of the
depreciation Of japanese strength and
says:
she has 100000 men nearer the
scene than Russla's 100000. Japan
is better armed and equipped and has
powerful hackers. Russia cannot profit
by victory, and the results of her de-
feat would be appalling to the coun-
try"
A favorable impression has been ere
ated by China's ratification at this juno
ture of the treaty with the United
States.
The japanese minister says that this
measure Is bound to exert a strong NOR
al effect and that the most OppOrtune
moment was chosen to consummate 1t.
A cablegram from St Petersburg
says the car takes the keenest interest
in bringing order into the complicated
situation.
Recently Count Lamsdorff. the for
eign minister; General Kuropatkin, the
minister of war, and NJ. Avasa, chair
man Of the committee on east Asiatic
affairs. assembled in the palace of Ear
skojesselo TO draw up communication
which will soon be published in the
government Messenger.
The car wishes and has told Count
Lamsdorn that the whole truth shall
be given to the public. He is person
ally against war and refuses to believe
that 1t will come. He hopes to convince
Japan that Russia's wishes are reason
able and must be respected.
Accordingly the communication chief
ly embraces five points:
First-Japan will get various conces-
sions in Korea.
Second.--In south Korea the japanese
can act not only in their economic in
terestg. but they can adopt strategic
measures corresponding with these In
terests.
Third.-Russia allows Japan full COM
mercisl freedom Of action in north
Korea, but Japan must not permanent
~ occupy fortified towns either to the
north or south and neither on the coast
nor in the interior.
Fourth.-A neutral zone of fifty kilo-
meters broad is to be created between
Korea and Manchuria along the Yalu
and Tumen rivers, in which neither
Russia nor Japan can establish forti-
fed positions; also that the strait be-
tween Japan and Korea shall be neu-
trail, thus giving free ingress and egress
TO Russian vessels.
Ffth-In reference to ManchurIa
Russia accepts no conditions, but de-
clares that she is ready to permit ia
pan and other powers to represent their
interests, embracing the open door"
for Mukden and Newchwang.
The car personally edited and cor
rected the above points of the commu-
nication.
The Lokal Anzeiger adds that Ad-
miral Alexieff, the Russian viceroy in
the far east, has of late been sending
two or three comprehensive dispatches
daily TO the government, in which he |
takes a gloomy view of future develop |
ments. The war idea is unpopular in |
Russia. hut II is feared that some I'M |
toward incident may occur any day
which will make it inevitable for Rus