The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-28
RUSSIA FORCES NEW CRISIS.
ANNOUNCES HER DETERMINE
TION TO INVADE CHINA.
Declares 1t Is Only to Meet Japan's Move,
but Europe suspects Plan to Invite
observation-disclosures In Control or
Internal An airs Hears out This view.
Special Gable Despatch to THE SUN

Special Cable Despatch TO IHE sun
LONDON, May 27.-There is only one
opinion in diplomatic circles Of Russia =
action in enlarging the field OF operat ions
10 Mongolia. 1t ia regarded as the greatest
menace to the general peace which mas
arisen since the war began
Taken in connection with the develop
rnents at st. Petersburg in he past rev
DAYS, It Is interpreted to be the dehoerate
Intention of those who control hussla
policy to cover her defeat by embrolling
other Powers. Such certainly has been the
desire OF the Russian reactionarles since
they reco gnized t he helplessness OF RUSSIAN
Arms. They strove first to embroll Great
Britain by intolerable interference with
British commerce. Then they tried TO
compromise their own ally by the conduct
Of Admiral Rojest vensky's fleet. Dlplo-
macy succeeded in defeating bot attempts
and Count LamsdortF, he Minister OF Foreign
Affairs. has succeeded in gaining the Cars
support in a pacific attitude and the mill
SAINT party has failed for the time being
IN its nefarious designs.
! Now. however, the Russian forelgn
Office admits negotiations which Will hardly
fail to result in the destruction OF Chinese
neutrality, the object which Secretary
Hay and the European dipomatists nave
successfully preserved until the present
moment. 1t Is not to be wondered at that
the Diplomatic Corps at Pekin and st Peters,
burg have been thrown into CONSERVATION
BY the situation thus created 1t was this
DEVELOPMENT which caused the interrupt
ton of the French Ambassadors journey
from St Petersburg and which has now
no SpfI nj q
out the world into action to combat the
peril which has arisen.
! The st, Petersburg Foreign Office to-day
Issued statement to the effect that the
Russian army was making preparations
for a forward movement into Mongolia,
but that It would avoid any action at Pekin
that would be likely to bring the army into
conflict with General Ma or necessitate the
Intervention of the Powers. Russia the
Abatement says, is resolved to enlarge the
radius of operations toward Mongolia
solely for the purpose of defending her
self against Japanese enterprise in this
region.
This ,ltterance "a a. menda"ious and
unjust liable as any of Russia'- lying dec
larations which led to the present war
and will change he attitude Of neutral
nations toward her. II is Russia herself
and not Japan that has overstepped the
Agreed limits Of operations during the war;
The Japanese have kept strictly within
Che range from the st art to the present day.
Russia now boldly and unnecessarily pro-
poses to invade China, not for genuine
nilit ary purpose, AS every one acquainted
with the military situation recognizes
The desire to raise Internal ional compiled
tions is therefore regarded as Ru'sia's OBJ
viors motive in making this move. The
trnme diate effect will be the prompt protest
Of he Powers.
Will this avail anyt hing? Some optimists
think or hops that Russia win seize he &C.
casion Of such protest to say that she
cannot hope to wage a successful war if
the operations are circlmscribed in his
fashion. She must therefore seek peace,
not because defeat ed but BY reason of in
transitional interference. This is such a
transparent pretext that few see in it any
resort for saving Russian prestige. Most
European observers fear that Russia's
real design is to dest roy Chinese neutrality
end generally embroil the Powers.
Indirect light is thrown on the Russian
purposes by the latest developments of
her domestic political situation. Every
thing indicates that the Gar IL completely
controlled by the Reactionaries. whose
present program seems 10 include tenn
porary qualification Of the internal troubles
BY real or pretended reforms. Important
action has been taken IN the past few days
toward the Capitalization Of domestic con.
troll not in the hands Of Ministries, but in
those two or three individuals chiefly
the Grand Duke Alexander Michaelo witch.
who still dominates his Imperial brother
in-law. The control of al waterways,
canals and public trsffi" roads this week
was transferred to his Ministry of Com
mercial Marines and all expenditure by
provincial zemstvos in road making will
hereafter be submitted to him His CO.
Pooh Bah is the Grand Duke Nicholas
Nicholoa witch president Of the new Council
OF Imperial Defense. which controls the
Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Army
and Navy. Those two men thus practically
acquire supreme power in Russia 4 fact
much commented upon in ST. PETERSBURG
il that neither the Grand Duke Vladimir
nor the Grand Duke Alexis attempt any
longer to take a personal part in tho Gov
eminent.
Tho virtual s,irr 1'o> &c Co,,-. LAWS
move against Chinese neutrality, Is en-
planned by the functions of the new Council
OF lmpelIai Defense, ihr SUNS st. Peters,
burg correspondent learns from reliable
sources that this body will he entrusted
with Russia's whole international pro-
gram. No question of this nature will be
submitted to the discussion of any elective
body. A special conference of high fnnc-
tonaries has decided, with the Emperor's
approval. that the sphere of any form of
5emsky sober must be confined to questions
of land tenure, local government and local
TAXATION. An elective assembly will he
treated as a consultative body in such
matters. The first step in this direction
will be taken by the abolition of the Ministry
OF Agriculture and the transfer of its ma
chinery to land commission, to which
the proposed elective body will submit
Its proposals. No national assembly in
any other sense is contemplated by the
Cars advisers.
There has been, therefore, a virtual
change In the control of Russia in the past
few days. and the first evi, elce of this is
the ominous move against China. What it
foreshadows is not yet clear, but the dipo-
matte world fears the worst.
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