Evening star., 1925-10-12
SOVIET DIPLOMACY
BEATEN IN CHINA
Karakhan, Russian Propa-
gandist, Fails to Halt Call
ing of Conference.
BN JAMES l.. BUTTS.
Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Daily News Foreign Service.

Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Daily News Foreign Service.
pEKIECi. August 27.-Comrade Lev
Mikhailevitch karakhan, Soviet prop
4gandist par excellence, with an un
broken record of diplomatic successes
during his China assignment, finally
on the eve of his departure for Mos
COW. has been hoist with one of his
own petards.
His last bit of diplomatic finesse, in.
tended to place the Chinese govern
.uent in an awkward position and TO
rebound further to his own credit, has
proved n boomerang and the comrade
leaves for Moscow to the accompani-
tnent of chuckles from Chinese official
irclcS and from the foreign diplo-
matte colleagues whom he has 50 fire.
luently twitted and annoyed during
llS Peklng Sojourn.
Farley Delayed
NJ karakhan's loss of face" was
III connection with the opening of the
~ino-Russian conference IA months
'dter than specified in the agreement
between China and Russia signed May
n. 1924. The delay was caused by the
Russian Amba SSador himself, as delay
III settling such questions as Chinese
navigation of the Sungrai River, dis
poSal Of the Russian Boxer indemnity
aud retrocession of Mongolia was dis
tlnCtly to Soviet advantage. During
The last nine months DR.. c. T. Wang,
director of the commission on Russia II
iffairs, has sought repeatedly TO have
The negotiations started. but his repre-
~entations have been rejected by NJ
MARKHAM on the grounds that several
difficulties had 10 be Smoothed before
he opening of a formal parley
The obstacles referred to chiefly con
cerned Marshal Chang Tso-lin, Man
churian war lord. and included con
struction of the Taonanfu. Tsitsihar
Railway. employment of czarist Rus
slams in Marshal Chang's armies, and
thangs determined attitude on the
redemption of vast amounts of paper
roubleS held in his Golfers and else
where in Manchuria. These matters
no longer than three months ago were
The subject of a series of Stinging
notes from NJ. Karakhan to the Chi
neSe government. special attention be-
ing given 10 the Taonan-T Tsitsihar con-
Struction-tinanced by Japanese money
and calculated greatly to benefit the
Japanese South Manchurian line at
the expense of the Russian interests in
the Chinese Eastern Railwdy-and to
The matter of anti-communist Russian
mercenaries in the Fengtten forces.
Invited Conference to Meet.
None of these prerequisite demands
from Moscow have been acceded to,
and NJ karakhan's representations to
the foreign Office have met with no
satisfaction. Yet without warning, on
August 10. Karakhan invited the Chi
neSe government TO Convoke the Sino-
Russian conference.
Two hours before the invitation was
issued Dr. Wang had left for Shang-
hal and karakhan was to leave for
Moscow on furlough four days later.
If the Russian embassy was prepared
20 open the conference, which is doubt
full it was not prepared for any
scheme which would prevent the par
ley from degenerating into a state Of
suspended animation. Karakhan
would have added to his laurels by
initiating the conference which he
lad successfully blocked for over Il
year. and the subsequent delay. seem
ingly unavoidable and eminently suit
ed to the Soviet purpose, would have
been upon the heads of the Chinese.
The Soviet bluff. however. was
abruptly called DR.. Wang. in reply
hat he was returning Immediately to
PekinE. Arriving, he promptly call
ed upon karakhau and announced
that the Chinese We're read to go
ahead with the negotiations at once.
Furthermore. he presented a fully
pre epared working plan to be put into
operation As soon as the formalitieS
Of the opening had taken place. This
called for the appointment of six joint
suhcommittees to work out all details
on the question of debts, boundaries.
navigation, commercial treaty.
Chinese Eastern Railway matters and
other points.
Surprise for Russia.
The Soviet Ambassador was taken
-baCk. He demurred and expressed
aStOnishment over the haste, stating
that he would have to refer to Mos
COW for fresh instructions before he
could agree to the appointment Of sub
committees empowered to sign Joint
reports. The Chinese retorted that the
Ambassador had himself initiated the
conference: they were prepared to go
ahead what did he propose to do?
In the face Of the prompt Chinese
acceptance and their request for i'm
mediate formal opening karakhan
could scarcely back down, though he
reiterated that he lacked instructions
from Moscow. He postponed his de-
parture for one day. This decision
was reached at o'clock in the aft
ernoon and at Z o'clock that evening
August 26-the opening ceremony
was held.
II had all the earmarks OF an ex-
tremely hastily arranged affair. The
scene was the big reception hall of
the Waichiaopu foreign office) There
wcrc no special decorations and the
national flags were not shown at the
entrance, a courtesy not omitted even
at social functions. The inauguration
was participated in by NJ. Karakhan
and four or five members of the en-
baSSy staff, the Chinese minister Of
foreign affairs. Dr. Wang, and a
dozen officials of the foreign ministry.
Most of those connected with the
Sino-R Russian. affairs commission were
unable TO attend on account of the
short notice.
Dr. Wang in a brief opening speech
rallied the Soviet Ambassador on the
prUtraCted delay in starting negotia-
IiOnS. which. he said, had caused the
people great hardship. and for once
Karakhan appeared embarra ssed for
a reply He shifted the subject to
C'hina's troubles with other nations,
tletonated a few favorite rhetorical
bombs on the subject of imperialistic
oppression in China and reminded his
hearers that through the efforts of
Dr Wang and himself last year the
imperialistic policy of the czarist
regime had been ended in China.
t'hina's greatest suffering, he averred
was occasioned by the delay and
doubtful prospects of conference
with the western powers for revision
of unequal treaties. He regretted
that Sino Russian accord was en-
t,ountering difficulties owing to the