Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-09
China PowerIess to Resist
Mukden Railway Project.
PRINCE REGENT IN PANIC
Urges Hasty Settlement to Avoid
Provoking Violence.
BITTER AGAINST THE ENGLISH
China's Helpless Position Attributed
to Great Britain's Backing OF
the japanese In Manchuria.

PEkING August 9.-The Chinese for
eign board and the grand council have
been in consecutive conference with
Prince Chun, the regent, on the Japanese
situation since the issuance OF Japan's
note announcing her intention Of proceed
ing Immediately with the reconstruction
Of the Mukden-Antung railway without
China's cooperation. Liang Tung Yen,
the president of the board Of foreign af-
fairs, was received In audience by the
prince regent yesterday and today.
The regent showed great anxiety at Ja-
pans attitude. OF coercion, which was
supported by Great Britain, and he urged
that the foreign board accelerate a set
tlement of the question In order not to
provoke Japanese violence.
Conceded All Points.
The Associated Press tonight learns
that China has virtually Internationally
conceded to Japan's demand that the rail-
road be made Of standard gauge. and is
| willing to accept any reasonable compro-
mise. but is debarred from giving treaty
consent on account of Japan's suspicious
attitude in forcing the gauge question.
In claiming for the Antung line advan-
tages existing on the south Manchuria
railroad and through her refusal to ne
gotiate the latter question. japan insist
ed on postponing consideration OF the
south Manchurian line question until the
Antung- Mukden railroad was reconstruct
ed.
China does not object to the expansion
of the Antung-Mukden railway CONNER
cially, but she does oppose a japanese
strategic enterprise ending in another for
eign military and commercial barrier
across Manchuria.
Great Britain's support of Japan has
made a deep impression on Chinese
| statesmen, who point out that Great Brit
simultaneously with the war scare in
Europe
| Extreme pessimism prevails in govern
ment circles. High offcials say that az
Japan has the British support she sup
poses that she can do what she likes.
Powerless to Resist.
| China, In her formal reply to Japan's
| note announcing the latter's intention OF
reconstructing the Antung-Mukden rail-
road, offered to waive her objection to the
| road being made Of standard gauge, pro-
| vided Japan waived her claim to the po-
| licing Of the railway as well as her min
| ing and other privileges In the region,
which. ii granted, China declared, would
place the railroad on a political and eco
nOmic basis. as were some railroads for
merly granted Russia However, the note
said, if Japan was determined to go ahead
with the reconstruction OF the road China
| was defenseless.
Japans answer to this reply will de-
termine whether and when the negotia-
! tions regarding the railroad. which
heretofore were conducted at Mukden.
| will be taken up between Baron Ijuin,
the Japanese minister at Peking, and
the Chinese foreign board.
Leaving certain questions pertaining
=! to jurisdiction to be discussed later
China has manifested a willingness 10
yield to the demands of Japan in the
matter of the reconstruction of the
Antung- Mukden railway. Word to thar
| effect has come to the State Depart
| ment from Mr.. Fletcher. the American
charge at Peking, and is in accord with
the information cabled from Toxic last
night.
This action by China indicates hat
| she has been brought to realize hat
| the regauging of the road is necessary
| in order that 1T may conform to other
| railroads and make 1t Of practical use
! in commercial traff1c. The jurisdictional
| questions which are to be further con-
sidered evidently are such as China con
siders not determined by the conven-
tional agreement between the two
countries.