The-Hong-Kong-Weekly-Press-1901-04-13 — Page 2

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THE MANCHURIAN CON- VENTION.

THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND

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[April 13, 1901.

have a railway line running down to Port granted to one is a long established principle Arthur and Talienwan, plainly has the in China, and by its observance alone have right also to demand that the safety of the many serious international complications line shall be guaranteed. China being been averted. Owing to the peculiar posi (Daily Press, 5th April.)

unable to guarantee this safety, Russia caution of China with regard to the rest of the The welcome news which we were able to plausibly maintain that she must guard the world such a principle is inevitable for the publish yesterday morning with regard to line with troops. But this is a very different maintenance of peace. Had her officials in the Manchurian Convention does not of matter from the annexation of the whole of the past been all men of even moderate in- course indicate the settlement of this mest Manchuria, under a worthless promise of, tegrity and patriotism, China's dealings with difficult question. It is satisfactory, how restoring the province to China when peace the foreign nations need not have been ever, that Russia has failed in her attempt is effectively secured. If the Powers were watched with such jealous eyes. But when to intimidate China and to bribe her officials now to admit Russia's right to occupy Man- her statesmen have on several occasions into the sacrifice of a most important pro- churia temporarily, it is easy to see that notoriously shown themselves willing to sell vince, entailing almost inevitably the conces- circumstances are quite likely to arise which their country's interests to the highest bid- sion of similar privileges in other provinces would render the withdrawal of Russian der or the most threatening aggressor, it is to other Powers, if not an absolute break-up troops perilous alike to the railway and to the clear that all the Powers were obliged to

! of the Empire. To whom the credit of this natives of the province. Stripped as Manchu look with the utmost care after their own diplomatic defeat of Russia is due is a matria would be, by the Russian stipulations, of rights. It is by neglecting to do so that ter of dispute. According to the Times Chinese military forces, the result cou'd only British prestige in China has decreased At the pre- correspondent, the opposition of the Yang-be that the elements of disorder would have to such a remarkable extent. tsze Viceroys has brought about the fortu- everything their own way, if and when the sent time it almost appears that the home nate result. In this conuection it is in- Russians left. Presuming that Russia de Government has awakened to the gravity that we may teresting to note that the North-China Daily sired to act with perfect good faith, she of the situation, and News publishes a list, stated to come from would probably find it impossible to fix a hope for an abandonment of the policy, a reliable official source, of the high provin- period for evacuating the occupied territory, which had reached its climax under Lord cial officials who have protested against the and the result would be exactly the same as SALISBURY'S administration, of amiable signature of the Convention by China. At if she were only promising evacuation to concession to the aggressions of other the head of the list come the two great quiet the Powers, as most of us are inclined nations, ousting as far as they could British Viceroys, LIU KUNG-YI, of the Liangkiang, to think she is. Once mistress of Man- traders from the Far East. This hope is and CHANG CHI-TUNG, of the Hukuang pro- churia, she could only be ousted, if at all, encouraged by the interpretation recently vinces, the steadfast opponents of LI HUNG-after a terrible struggle, which no Power put on the Anglo-German Agreement by CHANG and his supporters. Then follow the would be prepared to face. The obvious the British Government. Whoever it is Viceroys Tao Mu, of the Two Kwang curse, therefore, has been to prevent the that is primarily responsible for China's. Hay YING-KUEI, of the Min-che; KUEI occupation being acknowledged by China. rejection of the Mauchurian Convention, CHAN, of Szechuen; and WEI KUAN-TAO, The Court has been goa led into an attitude the result attained is favourable to British of the Yun-kuei. LI HUNG-CHANG and of firmness, and is now showing a bold front interests, provided that some definite under- SUNG FAN, the Manchu Viceroy of the to Russia. It remains for the other Powers standing be now arrived at as to the future Shen-kan provinces, are the only two Vi- to support China, for it is absurd to im- of Manchuria. The question of the evacua ceroys who have not protested against agine that Russia will be easily beaten. Totion of China should be treated as a whole, the Convention. Among the Governors, cope with Russia's diplomatic resources, Russia's interest in the Manchurian Rail- seven out of fifteen have protested, being China must be able to rely on more than way will be in no wise affected thereby; those of Shantung, Anhwei, Kiangsu, the lukewarm sympathy of the other nations but the general affairs of this important Kwangtung, Chekiang, Shensi, and Kwei

interested in the integrity of Manchuria.

province cannot be dealt with as a purely chai. These, as the North-China Daily

Russo Chinese question. An important News observes, are the Governors of the more important provinces of the

point has been gained by the abandonment of the Manchurian Convention. If, how Empire; and it is therefore a reason for

ever, it is only to be followed by an inde- satisfaction that they are alive to the im

finite occupation of Manchuria, the imme- portance of the question involved. There

diate gain will ultimately be converted into can be to doubt that the stream of protests

a loss. The Allies are preparing to con- from the majority of the influential officials

template the removal of troops from Chihli, of the Empire had a very great effect on the

although brigandage is still rife-our Tient- Court, sufficient indeed to counteract the

sin correspondent's letter bears witness to this interested representations of Lr HUNG-

---and in the same way to the departure of the CHANG and the Russophil party. The latter

Russian troops from Manchuria must be seem to have played their game very skil-

faced. The right of guarding the railway fully in representing the advantages to be

line with a sufficient force there is no gained by China (hrough the Russian alliance,

necessity to disturb. Otherwise there is no but the patriotism of their opponents has

reason for separating the Manchurian ques- conquered, and the great act of aggression

tion from that of North China. If British appears to have been stopped. It is also

and other diplomatists have intended any claimed that the strong attitude taken up

thing by their protests to China about by Japan relieved the situation, and indeed

the Convention, they are bound in common it cannot be denied that it is extremely pro- bable that the representations from Tokyo had weight with the fugitive Court. Japan's threat that compensating a vantages would be necessary for her, if Russia were to secure the signature of the Manchurian Convention, was too obviously genuine to be disregarded. And, as we have pointed out before, Japan would require compensation within the limits of the Eighteen Provinces, the fulfilment of which demand would be the beginning of the end for China.

Although China appears to be saved for the time from the "friendship" of Russia, it is clear that the Manchurian question is as far from settlement as ever. In a leading article recently the Shanghai native journal

Su pleaded for an International Con- vention for the preservation of the integrity of Manchuria, and it seems impossible that peace can be secured without the Powers coming to some arrangement in the matter, Russia, having secured, with the acquies cence of the Powers and China, the right to

sense to go on and to secure a clear under-

standing on the subject of Manchuria.

(Daly Press, 10th Apri'.) Russia's abandonment of the Manchurian Convention, as conveyed in her identical note to the Powers on the 3rd instant, bas the effect of relieving the acuteness of the crisis. Russia has not insisted on showing her friendliness to China by extorting her signature to a most one-sided agreement, disastrous to China and unjust to the other Powers. But, although the objectionable Convention is given up, the situation re- mains anything but clear. Russia announces her intention of quiely awaiting the course of events, while adhering to her oft-repeated programme. It would be satisfactory to- know what is this “ programme," for it is probable that the interpretations put upon it by St. Petersburg and London may vary very considerably. It seems, however, that Russia means to declare her intention of remaining in military occupation of Manchu- ria until peace is tecured. Up to a certain point Russia's claim is reasonable. There is no ground.for doubting the t. Peters- According to the Siu Wan Pao, several well burg accounts of hard fighting in the neigh-known places, such as the palace of Prince Su, bourhood of Sinminting, for there seems the Hanlin Yuen and the Mongol Market now included in the new Legs- to be considerable unrest alike in Man-are all

The Allies do not tion quarter at Peking. There is one little churia and Chikli.

immediate contemplate the

evacuation place called simply "The Hall," which the of Chibli, and Russia cannot be expect Court will be relieved to hear is likely to be ed to fix a date for her retirement from excluded. There the remote ancestors of the Manchuria. What is wanted, and what may reigning family are worshipped by the Em- reasonably be asked of Russia, is that some peror together with the princes of his family. They are wont to come in State procession to understanding should be arrived at in the mat- this Temple when the Emperor, as high-priest ter. The alleged contention of the St. Peters of the family, performs the highest religious burg authorities that Russia's arrangements ceremony before his defied ancestors, viz. thres with China are not the concern of any other kneelings and nine knockings. After he has nation is one which cannot be granted. Had completed his devotions, the attendant grandees Japan, for instance, put forward such a perform the same ceremonies. It is naturally therefore one of the most, sacred places of tho plea at the conclusion of the China-Japan "Great Purs dynasty, and unlike certain other War, the European Powers would have

places in Peking which the Emperor nominally scouted the idea. The principle of compen visits but never does, he must come here once s sation to other Powers for special privileges year.