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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[October 26, 1901.
MORE RUSSIAN RENUNCIATION | Japanese telegrams, one of which stated ! it would appear, is attempting to sell the
STORIES.
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RUSSIA AND ASIA,
(Daily Press, 21st October.)
that the Loudon Times had expressed its | country's inheritance in return for a pro- belief that the situation in Manchuria had longation of its term of life-a life which (Daily Press, 22nd October, }
improved and that Russia intended to only injures China and is detrimental to her It may be taken that the announcement restore the Newchwang-Shanhaikwan rail- jį relations with most of the rest of the world. that Russia is preparing next year to spend way and the port of Newchwang to China. over five million roubles on the defence- In the other telegram, which emanated from works of Port Arthur and Vladivostock will Tokyo, the return of Newchwang to China dispose of the story circulated last July that was taken for granted, and a concession to Russia was about to restore Port Arthur Russia at Shanghai was mentioned as the
The strongest proof of the capacity of the and Talienwan to China. We took leave; quid pro quo. The Standard's telegram, late Ameer of Afghanistan is perhaps to be at the time to disbelieve the fale. It was summarising the terms of the new conven-
found in the comparative ease with which not in accordance with Russian ways to tion, says that Russia is virtually restoring his eldest son HABIBULLAH seems to have recede from territory once seized. What, all the Northern provinces, that is the succeeded to his father's throne. It was no was the object of the inventors of the report
divisions of Manchuria now occupied by secret that the usual Asiatic differences, in spreading it remains a mystery, to which ber, the first instalment now and the whole proceeding from the unsettled laws of suc we cannot attempt to à solution. The within two years' time. Russia is to concession which in all ages have paralysed origin seems fairly clearly to have been in tinue to guard the Manchurian railway and Asiatic states, existed in an aggravated form journalistic imagination. The latest news is to drill the Manchu troops. These terms, amongst the
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Sons of ABDULRAHMAN ; from Port Arthur, brought by our Vladivos- | apart from whatever may be stipulated in neither was it a secret that those differences tock correspondent's letter of the 8th inst..the alleged secret agreement, are, it is need had been fanned to the furthest extent of indicates great improvements about to be less to point out, very different from the her ability by Russia. Russia, with all her carried out at that port, the harbour being provisions of the much discussed Man-hunger for territory, prefers to act by under- prepared for the reception of the largest churian Convention." the first news of ground ways, and seldom strikes till she warships and other alterations. being made which was made public by Dr. MORRISON has thrown a net round her intended victim. with a view both to military and to com at the beginning of the year, and an Her chiefest method is by offering asylum mercial facilities. Such activity is natural, amended version of which was published into the discontented, and fanning the flame and, were it coupled with any assurance all the Anglo-Chinese papers last March. of disaffection amongst the people. Cir- (other than verbal) that Russia is not once According to these provisions, the Russian eumstances at first were favourable to these more putting pressure on Ching for the occupation was to continue until such time methods. The eldest son of the late Ameer, practical cession of Manchuria and that she as Russia should be satisfied that peace and whom the sovereign always desired to is not still intriguing in Corea. would be good order had been restored in the province, succeed him, is unfortunately the son of a bailed with satisfaction. Coupled, however, while the organisation of Chinese troops mere concubine; his youngest brother UMAR with a permanent grip on Manchuria, with was at first forbidden altogether and then JAN, as the son of a wife, and of noble the resulting repression of non-Russian placed under such restrictions as to make rank, early showed his discontent at this trade, such an enterprise assumes a VOPY the idea of restoration of order by any but preference of his father and fled to the lifferent aspect. Indications from commer-¦ Russian arms a farce; moreover these troops Russians, So favourable an opportunity cial sources in the North are to the cffect. were not to be armed with guns, so that was not to be lost, and of course every that trade is recovering from the heavy they would be practically powerless against means were given to the young prince to blows struck at it by the recent troubles. į armed brigands. Now apparently Russia foment disorder. It is not for us to form Brigandage seems, unfortunately, to flourish | will guard the railway, while the Manchu
a judgment on the policy which underlies --the Russians have not succeeded in keep troops are to be drilled by her for the rest these intrigues. The death of ABDUL- ing this down -- but confidence is increasing. of the province, and instead of the vague RAHMAN has been of late years looked for- Still it cannot be expected that commercial time-limit, depending on Russia's satisfac- ward to with some apprehension as the men will make any efforts for expanding | tion about the restoration of order, a two possible commencement of an internecine the trade of northernmost China if there is years' period is assigned for the handling strife in which, in accordance with her tradi- a likelihood of Russia being permitted vir- over of the whole province to China. Fur-tional policy, Russia was bound to take a tually to annex the whole province and drive |ther, the numerous clauses as to railway-hand. But Russia with all her proverbial all competitors away, The Governmepts re- construction, mining, etc., are apparently astuteness occasionally overreaches herself; main silent as to Manchuria's future, apart absent in the newly reported convention. \ from a few vague remarks from which nothing can be drawn. In Englap the China League has, as we know, determined not to let the Manchurian question drop out of s ght, but the effect of its exertions on Lord SALISBURY's Government is not visible as yet. In Japan the feeling, as may be imagined, is strong, but the expres- sion of it seems confined to the vernacular Press. As the matter is not one of the least important branches of the China question, it is to be hoped that before long we shall hear some official statement about But hopes in anything connected with China must be long-lived.
it.
(Daily Press, 24th October.) Yet another story of what Russia intends to do in North China has reached us, in the telegram from London which we publish in this morning's issue. It comes by way of Shanghai-a faet which does not tend to make it convincing and it may be remark- ed that it is curious that no one but the Standard's correspondent has got hold of the terms of the new convention, not even Dr. MORRISON of the Times, who has always been to the fore with reliable news from the North. It would clearly be un- wise to speculate on the probable authenti- city of the story. At the same time, there is nothing intrinsically improbable about the reported terms of the convention, On the contrary, taken in conjunction with the alleged existence of a secret agreement in addition, they are much what might be expected. We quoted yesterday two
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people as
and the present is probably a case in point. The irresponsible portions of the public ABDULRAHMAN seems to have selected for and the Press have found it an entertaining his death the safest time for the interests of task to guess at the conditions on which his kingdom. The Russians have well Russian is likely to restore Manchuria to exhausted their forces in their intrigues in China, if indeed she has the intention of Manchuria and Peking, out of which they keeping her promise. Hence we have been feel they have not come with flying colours. inundated with rumours of all kinds, some They in fact mistook the action of England plausible, others the reverse. From Eng in the affair, and calculated on her entire lish, Russian, and Japanese sources chiefly abstention in view of what the wish, father these reports have coine. There is a certain to the thought, hinted, that her desperate resemblaner about some of the later stories struggle in South Africa would leave which may be taken to argue that there is a her powerless to act elsewhere. Though substratum of truth in them, unless they the struggle has seriously interfered | all can be proved to have a common origin. with England's freedom of action As we have said, there is nothing intrin- in China, the struggle has never been sically improbable in the Standard corres- | looked upon by Government or pondent's story; at the worst, it is an intelligent conjecture at the probable course of events. Should it prove to be true, the question of the provisions of the supposed | secret convention behind the other becomes of paramount importance. The celebrated Cassini Convention is not yet forgotten. Its existence seems still to be a matter admitting of argument. There is no doubt, however, that secret treaties, especially when one of the parties is China. à country of vital international stakes, are a menace to the peace of the world. The contention that China as a Sovereign State has a right to conclude what treaties she likes with another state will not hold good, for China under a corrupt and entirely unrepresenta- tive gover ment cannot be suffered to sell her rights, involving other nations' interests, under intimidation or at the instigation of! bribes. It is the dying government which,
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one the issue of which could be for a moment doubtful, and the fact of her preparedness to send a second fully equipp ed army to China took our amiable friend Russia by surprise, and checked many of her darling aspirations.. But it did more; and not the least remarkable effect was that it brought the Indian forces of Eng- land into contact with the troops of the Tsar, whose prowess had been heightened by their apparent universal success against the decrepit Maliommedan states of Central Asia. The result was unexpected for both parties, but certainly most so for Russia, Seen face to face, in fact, the glamour that had surrounded the Russian arms faded quickly into thin air. Are these the redoubted hosts who are to overrun our hearths and home, asked the Indians, and become the arbiters of India? The troops formed their own opinion of their would-be
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