The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-07-29
RUSSIA IS
SUPREME UNDER
CHINESE PACT
GRANTED VIRTUAL SOVEREIGN
TY ALONG THE LINE OF CHI
NESE EASTERN RAILWAY.

neSe treaty, against Jne fatl0CatlOn oil
which the Government of the United
States has made formal protest
through Mr.. Fletcher, its Charge d
Affaires here, is an extraordinary do
cument Under the guise of an APP
parently simple arrangement for the
settlement of the veXatious questions
constantly arising in the administra-
tion of municipal affairs on the line of
the Russian portion of the Chinese
Eastern Railway it confers a power
upon Russia tantamount to sovereign
ty in those municipalities The pro-
test of the American Government,
however, has served to prevent ratifi-
cations for the present.
On its face the treaty aims simply
to provide new municipal regulations
for the administration of the settle
ments along the line of that part of the
railway which is still controlled by
Russia. The nominal head of the
railway is a Chinese official who main
tains his residence here, but the real
power in the system is Russian.
J The treaty stipulates that all the
| important railway towns shall be adj
ministered by municipal councils, the
members of which shall be chosen at
general elections in which all the in
habitants of the respective municipal
tiles, without regard to nationality,
shall be eligible, on certain property
qualifications, to vote. Any voter is
also eligible to membership in the
council
The franchise qualification is own
ership of certain amount of real es-
tate or the payment of specified
amounts of real estate rentals or tax
es. Each municipal council is to
elect it's own president from among its
members, also an executive board COM
posed of three of it's members, to
appointed by the Chinese Taotai or
the municipality and one appointed by
the Russian director of the Chinese
Eastern Railway.
The president of the council is to
be eX-officio chairman of the executive
|
the execution of the ordinances of the
council The council is to have power
to legislate hpon all questions con-
corning the municipality except that
in cases where institutions are estab-
lshed by restricted interests they are
to be supported entirely by such in
terests
Thus an American school would de-
pend entirely for it's support upon
Americans and would be controlled en-
tirely by them. So with the churches,
clubs and hospitals established by the
different nationalities.
All ordinances of a council, to be
valid. must be approved by the Chi
nese Taotai and the Russian director
of the railway, who thus receive a
Joint vote of power When so APP
proved ordinances are to be binding
upon all inhabitants of the municipal
ity II not approved by both the Tao
tai and the Russian director an ordi-
nance is returned to the council for re-
} vision. If passed again by three
But there is an exception to this
provision which practically makes
every ordinance subject to Russian
approval 1t provided that inca
sures concerning public interest and
municipal finance" when passed by a
council over the veto of the Taotai and
, the Russian director, must be sub
mitted to the Chinese president of the
railway here in Picking and to the
Russian chief administrator of the
railway at st. Petersburg. If not APP
proved by both of these officials it is
not to go into effect.
WASHINGTON, July THE objec-
ton of this government to the Russo
Chinese treaty for the administration
of the railway towns is that it ex-
cludes the United States from voice in
the formulation or execution of the
municipal regulations, while it pro-
poses to bind Americans resident In
any such towns to be controlled by
such regulations or ordinances. 1t is
understood here that this is also the
lNhiSi 6iCuhh VI piONtSl Oil Ailp pRlb "
Great Britain, France and Austria.
The treaty is regarded at the Stat,
Department as violation of the opel
door policy to which Russia has for
mally adhered. This government hold
that the status of the railway settle
ments is the same for practical admin
istratiye purposes as that of the treat,
ports Under the extra-territorialit.
provision of the treaty with China
Americans resident in the treaty port
are subject governmentally to the ju
risdiction OF the United States con
sular officers.
. The protest of this government
against Chinese ratification Of tn
, treaty with Russia demands, first, tina
| limited StataS consular officers Shal