The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-23

interested on the following points 1st The recognition that no power will in any way interfere with any treaty port, or any vested interest with in any leased territory. or within any so-called sphere of influence 1t may have In China;
 End. That the Chinese treaty tariff of the time shall apply to all merchan- disc landed or shipped to all such ports as are within said spheres of influence (unless they be free ports.) no matter to what nationality it may belong, and that duties so leviabie shall be collect
 ed by the Chinese Government. 3rd. That 1t will levy no higher harbor dues on vessels of another nat ionality frequenting any port in such sphere. than shall be levied on vessels
 of its own nationality, and no higher | railroad charges over lines built, con- troiled or opefated within its sphere. on merchandise belonging to citizens. or subjects of other nationalities, trans 1 ported through such sphere. than snail be levied on similar merchandise be- longing to it's own nationals transport ed over equal distances"
 Great Britain, France, Russia, Japan and Italy assented to these proposl-
 tions. and each, in writing. mutually | agreed that it's assent should be con
 sidered final and definite"
 count MOuraV1ef1 TOT fuSSlh, deSeh' ed with much diplomatic politcncss; and seeking to emphasize Russia's unself- ishness. went beyond the text Of the agreement and assured MT Hay that in Chinese territory, other than that leased to Russia, "the Imperial Govern ment has no intention of claiming any privilege for its own subjects to the exclusion of other foreigners On July 3rd, 1900, Mir. Hay addressed a rir taI p operating in China for the suppression of the Boxer uprising, in which lie states that "the policy of the Govern ment of the United States is to seek solution which may bring about per manent safety and peace to China, pre- serve Chinese territorial and admins trative entity, protect all rights guar anteed to friendly powers by treaty and international law. and safeguard for the world, the principal of equal and impartial trade with all parts or the Chinese Empire" To secure the "opcn door" and to preserve Chinese territo- rial and administrative entity" were the two things urged upon the powers in this telegram by MT. Hay. In reply. the Russian Charge at Washington as- sured Mir, Adee. the Acting Secretary ot State that, as already repeatedly dc clared, Russia has no designs Of terri torial acquisition in China; that incl dentaIly. to necessary defensive meas ures on the Russian border Russia has occupied New Chwang for military purposes, and as soon as order is es- tablished, will retire therefrom, if the action of other powers be no obstacle thereto"
 The State Department congratulated the United States Government upon these frank assurances and the reiter- ated statement that Russia has no de- signs of territoriHi acquisition in Chi na, and was much gratified that the occupation of w Chwang was tenn porary and solely for defensive pur- poses. In the light of subsequent sc- cret proceedings of the Russian Minis ter at Peking, 1t is clear that Count Mouravieffs frank assurances or Russias altruistic unselfishness as to privileges in China, and the later dtsa- vowal by the Russian Charge at Wash ington of any desire for territorial ac- quisition in Manchuria, were intended simply as hypnotics to keep MT. Hay quiet and happy in his dream of dip lomatic success. until Russia could fasten her grasp so firmly upon Man churia that our Premier would be too courteous to indulge in even circular protest. fond as he Is of such spectacu- lar diplomacy.
 In April 1903. NJ. Planchon, the Rus sian Charge at Peking, sent commit nication to the Chinese Government. making demands for further conces- sions as a condition precedent. to the evacuation of the Mukden Province and Ghirin and the transfer of civil admin istration to China
 Among the many demands were thL following:
 That no piece of land, large or small. should be leased to any foreign power:
 That no points in Mancnuria shall be opened to foreign trade without consultation with the Russian Govern ment;
 That the Russo. Chinese Bank" q Russian bank shall continue to act as the Customs Bank of New ChwanE: and that Russian troops shall remain there to guard the bank:
 That Russian military stations shall be maintained at points along the navi- gable streams to the interior:
 That Russian officers shall be em- ployed in the administration of ouar- antine; and that all forestry. mining and other concess Ions, which might he advantageous to Russia. shall be giv- on to Russian subjects
 This opened the eyes of Mir Hay 10 the duplicity of Russian diplomacy: and on April g, 1903. he telegraphed Mccormick. our Emba assador at St. Petersburg, to discreetly ascertain the meaning of the first two sections of the demands made by the Russian Charge upon Prince Ching at Peking, namely, the one forbidding the establishment of treaty ports and consulates in Manchu- ria, and the other excluding all for eigners. except Russians. from the Chinese service"
 Four days later. Mccormick wrote
 Hay that he had take up the matters mentioned in Hays telegram with the Foreign Office at St. Petersburg. and that His Excellency Count Lamsdorff said that the intentions of the Russian Government were exactly the same as they were fourteen months ago. that there had never been any thought Of a Russo Chinese Convention. excluding other countries from participation in the advantages they enjoy a present In Manchuria or conferring monopolies upon Russians. He added that whilst
 1t must he distinctly understood that Russia admitted no protest un the sub ject from any power, as two indepcnd- ent nations were at liberty to treat as 1t suited them without Intervention of a third power he was happy 10 respond with perfect frankness to question frankly put by the representa- tive of such friendly power as America. al- though cOnfessing that he was some what hurt that the only expression of doubt should come from America.
 e" He added that the United states Government could rest assured that nothing would ever be done to close | the door now open in Manchurta, and | that American commerce. and America T capital wore of all other countries, the