New-York tribune., 1910-01-23
DECLINED.

There will be more regret than sur
prise at the Russian and Japanese dec
lination OF the American proposals for
the neutralizatio of the Manchurian
railroads, although the latter feeling will
not be altogether lacking It had been
sincerely hoped that those governments.
together with all others concerned. would
give ungrudging assent TO a plan which
was unselfish, which gave promise of
much good TO all legitimate interests and
Of evil TO none, and TO which no con-
vincing objections have yet been offered.
Since those two powers have. however
declared their disapproVal of Mr.. Knox's
suggestion, it is difficult to avoid sur
missing that their antagenism arises from
other considerations than those strictly
pertaining tC travel and transportation
on the railroad lines in question. When
Count Cassini more than q dozen years
ago made his shrewd agreements with
the Peking government he and his prin-
cipals had much more in view than the
mere construction and operation of rail
roads; and those other objects, though
perhaps in a somewhat modified form,
are presumably at the present time para
mount in the minds of both Russia and
Japan
The controversies over administrative
authority at Harbin which have occurred
in the last year or two suggest the
nature OF the alien interests in Man
churia. Count Cassini's plan. TO which
for some consideration Ii Hung Chang
readily lent himself. was TO establish
Russian imperiRm in the Chinese i'm
perio by getting for the Chinese Eastern
Railway Company complete political and
administrative Jurisdiction over the chief
trade centres along the railroads as at
Harbin. 1t has been asserted that this
jurisdiction is so complete as to extend TO
American or other foreign residents Of
those places, and TO prohibit foreign con-
suls from serving there, unless with the
assent of the company. AS the so-called
Chinese Eastern Railway Company was
practically a bureau of the Russian gov
ernment, and as under the Treaty of
Portsmouth Japan succeeds fully to all
of Russias rights and privileges in the
region from which she expelled Russia,
the practical effect of that arrangement
is obvious. II makes the most important
trade centres Of Manchuria dependencies
of Russia and Japan. OF course. that
jurisdiction over the places is not vested
in those powers per Sc, but in the owners
Of the railroads; so that if China should
purchase the railroads. as Secretary
Knox suggested. the control and admins
tratiOn Of those places would automa-
To hor Cie
Japan would have nothing more to
do with them than any other foreign
powers.
That il is sure 10 be suggested is the
thing which those two powers most wish
to avoid and the chief real ground Of
their unwillingness to approve Secretary
KnOxs proposal. To what extent if any,
II was the object Of the proposal is not
here TO be discussed. But it has seemed
10 us to form one Of the most convincing
reasons why every power which sincerely
favored the open door policy in China
should have supported that proposal and
sought its adoption. The open door
policy is surely not compatible with
political and administrative monopoly Of
the chief trade centres by q single power.
Russia and Japan are now understood
substantially to claim that they have
exclusive sovereignty over the region
around all the railway centres in Man
churia. so that they can forbid Ameri-
cans CT others to purchase lands or set
tie there. or can subject any who do
settle there 10 the arbitrary taxation
and other control of Russian and Jap
it would be difficult for another nation
TO acquiesce. and the most just and prac-
tical method OF getting rid of it and
averting the complications which its as
sertion might cause would seem 70 be TO
let China become the owner of her rail
roads and thus the sovereign OF the lands
through which they run.