The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-21

Arrangement of Russo-Chinese Bank
to Exploit Part of Mon
golia.
TROOPS IN THE PROVINCES
DIVISION IN GOVERNMENT AS TO
PRESENT DUTY.

st. Petersburg, Feb. 20.-Chinese re-
lations and the negotiations of Min
lister Pokitoloff with the Pekin govern
ment are engrossing the attention Of
Russian diplomacy, even to the ex-
clusion Of the latter. with all the
preiudicial effect on Russia's situation,
is now considered here well within the
bounds Of probability. Foreign office
officials make a mystery of the sub
Ject matter of the negotiations at
Pekin, but the Associated Press learns
that Minister Pokotiloff is chiefly in
terested with ManchuTia and the pres
ervation of Russia's special rights
there.
Approximations of an indefinite re-
suit are voiced in dispatches from
Pekin. The negotiations are directed
to securing Russia in her favored po-
sition In Mongolia. These apprehen-
sions are rather beIated in view Of
the fact. though this is not generally
known. that two of the easterly prov
inces Of Mongolia, Tsetsenchan and
Tuschetuchan. intervening between
Pekin and the trans BaikaIian from
tier, generally eastward OF line run
ming from the southern end Of Baikal
to Pekin, were long since given over
! to Russ0-Chinese bank exploitation,
and are thus actually part of Rus
sia's sphere of influence under an
agreement the existence of which, be-
cause it was made by the bank and
not by the government, the foreign Of
fee now affects to ignore.
Troops in Territory.
Russian troops, consisting of infan-
| try. cavalry and artillery. have been
| introduced at various important cen
| tiers for the protection of Russian
consuls" These military "outposts of
empire have been pushed forward in
! to Chinese territory, the whole ST.
berian and Central Asian frontier chain
extending from Kerulen in eastern
Mongolia through Urga, Uliassutai,
| Tarbagatt, Urumptsi, Kuldja, Kash-
/ gar and Yarkland, to Khotan, on the
| border Of Tibet.
] The cat was let out Of the bag con-
| corning the. presence of a considerable
force at Urga, including infantry and
| Cossacks and several guns, by the
/ incautions publication, in an obscure
! provincial paper of a casual account
/ of a celebration of the departure OF
/ one company of the garrison and the
/ arrival of another The two provinces
/ given over to the Russ0-Chinese bank
/ cover the route of the proposed rail-
road from Baikal to Pekin, for which
| a concession was obtained. but the
money was wanting. The RussO-Chi-
nese bank also has valuable mining
rights, including gold
( The ManChuria situation has given
rise to a sharp difference Of opinion
/ in the government, one side urging a
| speedy realization of the. provisions of
/ the treaty of POrtmouth for the evacu-
alton, except by railroad guards, and
/ the complete abandonment Of the Man
/ churian adventure, and the other side
working for delay. pleading in 1ustifi-
cation of its attitude the claim that
] the disposition Of China to send sew
/ eral corps to ManchuTia is regarded
as against Russia.
| A special session Of the council for
/ national defense has been called to
| consider the question.