The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-19
Mr.. Hay. Reply to the Russian Note

Mr.. Hays Reply to the Russian Note.
Secretary HAY has made n cautious,
judicious and probably effective answer
to the note received from the st. Peters
burg Foreign Office declaring that China
had failed to perform the duties Of a
neutral and that Russia consequently
holds herself at liberty to regard as no
longer binding her promise to respect
China's neutrality. The practical pur-
port Of the State Departments com
munication to the neutral Powers is that
one belligerent cannot be permitted to
determine for itself whether neutrality
has been violated by China, but that 1T IS
for the neutral Powers collectively to
decide that question, and that pending
their decision Russia should refrain from
aggression against China.
No other deduction can be drawn from
the tenor of Mr.. HAYS instructions to
the representatives of the United States
at the capitals of the nations Interested
in the Far East They are directed to
request the Governments to which they
are accredited to repeat the assurances
given by them last February that they
would use their best endeavors to keep
China from becoming involved in the
war. and to restrain both Russia and
Japan from taking any measures detri-
mental to China's interests so long as
China should observe a correct attitude.
Inasmuch as the original request for
these assurances was suggested to the
United States by Germany, it is hard to
see how the Berlin Government can
refuse to reiterate the promise that it
made at that time.
The assurances, Of course, would be
worthless if Russia were TO be suffered
to repudiate her promise on an CT pdrte
exposition OF disputed assertions. If
Germany had not sincerely wished TO
safeguard Chinas neutrality, she would
not have put US forward eleven months
ago to secure a collective guarantee
thereof. We know Of no allowable cause
for a change in Germany's position, and
we are therefore inclined TO believe
that the Berlin Government will return
the desired answer to Mr. HAYS COM
munication. Should his note be received
with approval in Berlin, there is no doubt
that it would meet with an equally favor
able reception in Vienna and Rome, and
France is unlikely TO take dissentient
attitude so long as NJ. DELCAssE is Min
lister for Foreign Affairs. As for Great
Britain's acquiescence in our proposal,
! that is certain, because just now her
| interests and ours in the Far East are
| concordant.
If we examine Russias note in con-
I junction with facts known or suspected,
we shall see some reason for taxing it
with bad faith, as having been concocted
after the event, for the purpose of ex-
cusing not only a contemplated breach
of neutrality, such, conceivably, as the
seizure Of a Chinese seaport, but also
past breaches OF neutrality on Russia 8
part which can no longer, or not much
/ longer, be concealed. We have In mind
! first, the fanking expedition OF some
| 1000 cavalry under Gen. MIsTCHENKo,
/ which started from Gen. kURoPATKIN' s
! lines on Jan. u, that is to say, before
! Russias note was or could be received
! in Washington. The aim of this expe-
/ dition was to skirt, unobserved, the
! Japanese left flank and to break the
/ Japanese line of communication with
the bases of supply at lingkow and
| Dalny. thus delaying the despatch Of
/ reenforcements from Gen. Noel army,
]
Marshal OYAMA at the front The pur-
/ pose Of the expedition was accomplished
70 a certain extent; that is to say, Gen.
I MIsTcHESKo occupied temper lrily old
Newchwang and penetrated to within
three miles of the port of Yingkow be-
tore he was compelled 10 retreat. 1t is
probable enough that he did a good deal
Of damage to the Yingkow branch of
the railway running south from Lao
yang
Now the japanese say, and a glance
at the map will dispose unbiased
persons to agree with them that this
expedition could not have reached
/ Newchwang unobserved without violat-
ing China's neutrality, for the reason
that the western bank of the Lao River,
or line within eyeshot thereof, had been
agreed upon by the belligerents as the
western boundary of the sphere Of hos
Utilities, and as outposts Of the japanese
left flank are stationed close to the line
mentioned. II is no answer to say that,
from a tactical point Of view, such a
violation Of China's neutrality had be-
come indispensable for the execution
Of Gen. KURoPATKIN's plans. The con-
tingency should have been foreseen
when the boundary was fixed, and il il