Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-19
RUSSIA'sllHsT MOVE
Regarded s.,slAsssnps to
Save Herface."
CHARGES A PRETEXT
REALIZES THAT MANCHURIA HAS
BEEN LOST.
Determined to Obtain a Port on the
Yellow Sea = Significance of the
Movement at Kashgar.

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.


Written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
Ihose VINO are watching diplomatic af-
Ialrs are convinced that the latest move of
RUSSIA In attacking China for violation of
the laws OF neutrality is in the nature of a
coup detat, for effect both at home and
ABROAD. IL Is regarded as a very serious
matter; much more serious than was at
nrst beheved. 1t is a stroke characteristic
OF RUSSIAN diplomacy; a subterfuge of a
beaten nation, to divert international at
tehtion 10 new issues and to involve out
sue nations IN complications so deeply
that they Will be compelled to assist the
RUSSIAN government out of it's difficulties
II Is also believed that the coup detat is
expected to divert the attention of the Rus
sian people from local questions; to give
them something new to think and talk
ABOUT; TO distract their attention from the
demands that have been made upon the
car, and to excite sympathy for the gov
eminent.
Russia realizes that she has lost Man
churla, out she will never lose sight of the
main purpose nor abandon her aggressive
policy in the east 1t is a policy of CEN
turles-eternal in it's purpose, born in the
brain of Peter the Great and his most
precious and important legacy to the
RomanoH dynasty. For the protection and
the promotion of that policy having lost
Manchuria, Russia evidently proposes to
take slice from some other part of
China, and has already, according to the
telegraph dispatches, invaded Chinese
Iurkestan and has taken possession of
Kashgar. one of the most important cities
in the outlying provinces of China. 1t is
expected that kashgar will be made a
base for the invasion Of Turkestan and that
Russian troops will be taking possession of
Monaghan strongholds before many days.
Belief of Diplomats.
Diplomatists here are also convinced that
Russia is laying the ground for claim
for indemnity against China, and that the
car will very shortly demand a con-
venient port on the Yellow sea as a naval
station similar to Kiao-chau, now held by
Germany and Wei-hai-wei, now held by
Great Britain Having lost Port Arthur
and Dalny. Russia has no place on the Pa
c1fic where her ships can go In cold wealth
er; for Vladivostok. is frozen up for five
months In the year. Having secured such
a port and big slice of Mongolia. the
Chinese branch Of the Siberian railway can
be built direct to Picking and Tien-tsin. be-
cause further developments in Korea and
Manchuria must be abandoned for the pres
ent. But any one who presumes that the
great white bear has abandoned his efforts
to control either of those territories does
not understand Russian diplomacy or de-
termination. Sooner or later efforts to re-
cover what has been lost during the last
twelve months will begin to develop Rus
sia may yield temporarily, but her purpose
is never abandoned For four centuries she
has been trying to obtain a port on the
Mediterranean and the control of the Bos-
phorus, and while .dynasties may change
ana generations may appear and disappear
the determination never dies and will con-
tinue to be disclosed at intervals through
the centuries whenever the occasion seems
favorable II you will read the history of
Russia for the last one thousand years.
since Moscow became the capital of a
great nation, you will appreciate the seri-
Gus caracter of the present coup dctat
Charge Merely Pretext.
The charge that China has violated the
Obligations of neutral nation is only a
pretext and has been adopted because 1t
is the most convenient and plausible at
this particular time. Russia might have
CHOSEN any other ground of complaint just
as well; the motive is the same and the
intention to involve the Chinese govern
ment in the war will be carried ont one
way or another. The United States and En-
ropean powers will be involved in the con-
troVersy and compelled to take sides so
that when the peace negotiations begin. as
1t Is evident they must do soon Russia will
DE able to eXtricate herself with as little
loss as possible. She will be compelled to
give up Korea and Manchuria, but she will
get slice of China somewhere and a naval
oase upon the coast as the price of letting
China alone. She knows that China viii
not and cannot fight; and that the north
ern borders of that great empire are at
her mercy
The alleged violation of the neutrality
laws is q sufficient excuse for an attack.
ana China may be compelled to choose be-
tween war with Russia and the cession
of slice of territory and a port on the
Pacific coast in the neighborhood of those
now occupied by Great Britain and Ger
many. In Count Cassinis complaint to
Secretary Hay Russia admits that China is
unable to enforce the neutrality of her own
people, and every one who has read the
newspaper dispatches knows that the yio-
Iat1on of neutrality by the Chinese has
been much more to the advantage of Rus
STA than to Japan, but that does not sig
n1fy 1t is also true that Russia agreed to
contine the war within certain territorial
limits. The Emperor Of Germany was the
first to suggest that this be done At his
request Secretary Hay took the initiative
and obtained from Russia a voluntary
agreement that the sphere of hostiIities
But that does not count. That agreement
will not hold any longer than it will be to
the advantage of Russia to observe it.
Russian Pledge Violated.
You will remember also that Russia
agreed to evacuate Manchuria on the 1st Of
October 1903 That assurance was given
to Secretary Hay by Count Cassini and by
Count Lamsdorf, the Russian minister Of
foreign relations, to Am baSSador McC,or-
mick over and over again, both in CONVEX
sation and in writing, but when the date
arrived it was not convenient for Russia to
keep her promise. and hence she did not
do so. That is traditional Russian diplo-
macy. Similar incidents have occurred at
intervals for a thousand years. Not even
the Great Turk himself can disregard or
deny pledges and obligations with less
concern than Russia.
The coup d'etat regarded as unmistak-
able evidence that Russia is tired Of fight
ing and wants to make peace. The entire
Japanese force is now directed against Ku-
ropatkin's army, and the fighting will be
resumed very soon. cfhe Russians can
bring twice as many men from home as
the Japanese, but it will cost them ten
times as much money, and the railroad
cannot transport supplies for more than a
certain number. 1t Is impossible for them
TO recover Manchunia, and they can accom-
plish nothing by continuing the duel before
Mukden. 39tEn
Russian Ships Off Madagascar.
Grave reports come from the Russian
fleet which now lies somewhere off the
coast Of Madagascar. The confidential in
formation which filters through the intelli-
genee bureaus of the, European powers,
while very vague, is exceedingly unfavor-
able SO far as the condition of the ships
and the discipline of the men of the Rus