Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-27

the inability or unwillingness of the lat
ter, intimidated by Japan. to enforce the
neutrality of which she had assumed the
obligations. The United States and Eu-
rope saw fit to close their eyes upon that
nagrant breach of neutrality Of China as
Wen as upon the deplorable attitude the
latter assumed on that occasion.
f1ndlng encouragement in that attempt,
both China and Japan persevered in that
objectionable course which placed upon
Russia, scrupulously true to the promises
made, the necessity Of noticing. at every
moment, the encroachmentS of China, en-
couraged by Japan, upon the duties of the
neutrality which had been imposed upon
her in her own interest and in that of the
whole world Russia surely is as much in
terested as the other powers and perhaps
even more, in the maintenance of the neu-
trality of China as long as this neutrality
is strictly and loyalty observed. Engaged
as Russia Is in serious war, 1t is obviously
not to her advantage to complicate the sit
uation by creating additional difficulties,
but it is impossible for her to admit for an
instant that while she Is herself observing
her duties of neutrality, China. Influenced
and intimidated by Japan. may commit
acts contrary to her neutral obligations and
detrimental to the interests of Russia"
Proposed Conference.
Secretary Hay, in his next communica-
ton to Count Cassini, dated January %.
1905, advances the proposition that an in
slider the whole subject of Chinese neutral
ity. This note says:
your excellency now states that the
declaration of China is met by the facts
adduced by the imperial Russian govern
ment as matters of public knowledge. and
you specifically cite the case of the
Ryeshitelni at Chefoo as an instance of
the disregard of Chinese neutrality by
Japan and of the inability or unwillingness
of China to enforce the neutrality of which
she had assumed the obligations.
ut does not seem incumbent upon me to
take up the question your note seems to
present, touching the asserted inaction of
the United States and Europe. So far as
the course of the United States is con-
cerned, the correspondence exchanged at
the time shows that the seizure of the refu-
gee torpedo boat in the port of neutral
by one of the belligerents found no en-
enlargement whatever; while our attitude
when the AskOld and her companion YES
sells subsequently took refuge at Shanghai
was in full encouragement of the efforts
and eventual success OF China in enforc-
ing neutrality.
1.-THE interest of so many powers being
deeply affected by the continuance and OBJ
servance of the neutrality of China, and
their keen solicitude for the maintenance
of that neutrality and its observance by
both the beligerents having been so con-
spicuously manifested on many occasions,
the government of the United States does
not at this moment Ieei lnat IL Is cameo
upon to express an isolated Judgment or to
consider the adoption of an individual
course of action looking to the observation
of that neutral status which We all desire.
1t would, on the other hand, seem that this
general solicitude of all the interessed
states would make it expedient and proper
that the matters concerning which the RLs :
sian government raises an international is
sue should be considered in a conference OF
the powers
The correspondence closes with a transia-
tfon of the reply of the Chinesie foreign or
fee to the Russian charge, compenalouss
abstract of which was recently puphsneo
In The Star.