The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-21
|DISARM OR GIVE Bkx1LE Japan Proposes to Enter
 Ports. TOXIC SPREADS WARNING Russian Ships Not Secure in
 China's HarbQrs. :, If the Cxar Persistently Violates the Neutrality of China, the MikaAo
 win Conduct Himself as $l

Tokio, Aug. 20.-The Japanese Gov ernment today gave to the Associated Press a statement defining its attitude in the capture of the Ryeshiteini and declaring its position on the entire question of Chinese neutrality as fol. lows:
 The status of China in the present struggle Is wholly unique. Nearly all the military operations are carried on within her borders. She is not party to the conflict; nevertheless. her ter ritories are in part belligerent and part neutral That condition of things in the contemplation of international law is an anamoly and contradiction
 In this case, 1t Is q creature of a spe- cial understanding, to which the bellig- erents have given adhesion with a view to limit the area of hostilities in the interest of foreign intercourse and the general tranquility of China
 The Japanese Government engaged to respect the neutrality of China out. side of the regions actually involved ia war, provided that Russia made a sim.. lar engagement and carried 1t out in good faith.
 Japs Kept Faith.
 The Japanese Government considered that they were precluded by this en- gagement from occupying or making use for warlike purposes of any kind of territory or ports of China outside of the zone which has been made the theatre of war, because 1t seemed to them that any such occupation would ipso facto convert the places thus oc [. cupied and used from neutral to bel ligerent territory.
 It equally seemed to them that any such occupation and use of neutral Chinese territory or ports by the Rus sian forces would give effect to the provfso in the Japanese engagement and Justify her in considering territory or ports so occupied as beiligerent.
 In other words, the Japanese govern ment held that Chinas neutrality is imperfect and applicable only to those places which are not occupied by the armed forces of either beiliserent ,tnd Russia cannot escape the coTsequeqceA of m unsuccessful war by movIngl ltts army or navy into those portions of China which by arrangement had been made conditionally neutral.
 Russia Violated Pledge.
 Russian warship from Port Arthur sought in the harbor of Chefoo asylum from attack which her home port had ceased to afford her. In taking that step she was guilty of breach of the neutrality of the China as established by the agreement of the belligerents and Japan was fully justified in re- garding the harbor of Chefoo as bel ligerent so far as the incident in Ques- tion is concerned.
 With the termination of the tnci- dent the neutrality of the port was revived. The action taken by Japan at Chefoo was direct neutral conse- quence of Russia's disregard of her en- gagement but it Is not alone in this matter nor alone in the Chefoo matter that Russia has nagrantly violated China's neutrality and ignored her own engagements.
 Shortly after the investment and iso- lation of Port Arthur, d system of wireless telegraphy was installed be- tween the beleaguered fortress and the Russian consulate at Chefoo. The system is still in operation nothwith- standing the repeated protests of the Japanese government.
 Case of the Mandjur.
 At Shanghai at the beginning of the war, the Russian gunbcat Mandjur, in defiance of China's neutrality. remain ed in the port for weeks after receiv- ing notice to leave. Finally after long negotiations she consented to disarm. Again the Russiiel cruiser Askold and the destroyer GromCbol have now been at Shanghai for more than a week and still refuse to disarm or leave.
 The Japanese Governm cnt has no in- tention of disregarding China's neutra- lity so long as it Is respected by Russia, but they cannot consent that Russian warships. as a result of a broken en- gagement and q violate neutrality. shall unchallenged tipd in the harbors of China safe refuge from capture or from destruction.
 The statement of the commander of the Ryeshitelni that his ship was dis armed upon arrival at Chefoo is untrue. The vessel was fully armed and man. iHi AL.d