Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-02-24
old TREATY Ruling
RUSSIA CLAIMS MANY RIGHTS
In China THROUGH AN
ANCIENT DOCUMENT.
Clash Between Two Countries Sure n
Come Soon, According to Reports
United States Brought in the Con-
troversy by Treaty of 1844-Trade
Relations Can Not Be Monopolized

That Russia relies ON an old treaty
between America and China, under
which China can not place restraint on
foreign trade, in her ultimatum which
is being followed by an armed demon.
stration in Lii and Mongolia, was the
news brought by the steamer Mont.
eagle recently in Victoria.
The Daliokaya Okraina, a Russian
newspaper published at Vladivostok,
says: "There is no doubt a storm is
approaching which will soon burst be-
tween Russia and China with disas.
trous results.
According to the treaty concluded
in 1874 between China and the United
States of America, the former country
can not place any restraint on foreign
commerce, including Russian trade, by
means of either monopoly or other
measures. In virtue of the treaties
concluded in 1858 and 1881 between
Russia and China the former could en-
| joy all the rights of the most favored
nation and Russian merchants could
deal in goods of any origin in every
populated district in Mongolia For
that reason long ago there were estab-
lished many Russian firms dealing in
tea in the Lii, Tarbagatai and Sitsiansk
provinces. This trade was conducted
! by Russian merchants and the Chinese
officials secretly participated in the
business, making great profits by their
| J,at
endeavoring to take this trade out of
Russian hands.
Obstruct Russian Trade.
cat the outset several attempts
were made to place distractions in the
way of Russian trade, but last April a
joint stock company was officially or
ganized, monopolizing all trade in tea
in Tarbagatai and Iii, and Russia was
etfectually checked. Besides this, the
Chinese authorities did not act fairly
toward the Russians in the Altai prov
ince, the capital of which is Shara-
Sumo. The amban, the chief of the
province since 1905, has repeatedly re-
fused to render any judgment when
Misunderstanding occurred between
Russians and Chinese and issued an
order prohibiting Chinese to sell or to
lease houses to Russians.
Ordered Buildings Confscated.
FINALLY, in 1908, he ordered all
buildings belonging to Russians to be
confscated. After this the Russian
consul was sent to negotiate, but the
amban CURLY refused to deal with him,
saying that he had no instructions
from Picking, while the Chinese gov
eminent at Picking assured the Russian
authorities that instructions had al
ready been issued.
According to article 10 of the
treaty, concluded at st. Petersburg,
Russian consuls have the right, when
travelling, to avail themselves of the
government post establishments, but
the amban fatty refused Russian con-
suls permission to use these establish
ments.
"The correspondence between the
Russian government and the local au
thorities and Picking did not produce
any satisfactory reasons and the Rus
sian ministry of foreign affairs decided
to open a Russian consulate at Shara
Sumo. The Chinese government OPP
posed this measure, saying there are
few Russians at that town, and they
have also no right to settle at Kobdo,
where the amban previously resided"
Send $4,000 Russians to Kulja.
A special from st. Petersburg says
| Ill
corps of $4,000 men is prparing to re-
occupy Kulja, district of Chinese
Turkestan.