RUSSIA AND CHINA.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4301, 9 March 1901, Page 4

RUSSIA AND CHINA.

The cable appears this morning to writs “Finis” to another chapter of Chinese history. According to the correspondent of the "Standard,” the Manchurian Convention has been finally signed.j Some time ago the “Times” correspondent reported that tho Russians had complete possession of Manchuria. They were at Mukden, at Tsit-si-har, at Kerin, at Niuchwang, holding the oldest and: newest cities, occupying the seal coast, round to Port Arthur, and com-; manding the interior to any distance accessible to tho imagination. They'had, twenty thousand troops scattered along the various lines of communication, they, directed the post office, they became rc-| sponsible for roads and bridges, they; rejoiced in increasing concessions for, railways, actual, possible and impossible.; they were the custodians of manners, the: guardians of morals, and they weroj about to undertake the collection of the; land tax. It was ail in friendship to; the Chinese, and the recent massacres on -the Amoor were forgotten, ‘ .j Apparently all this'is ratified by the, Chinese, and apparently the concert of; the Powers is satisfied; Japan, by the ■ formal relinquishment by Russia of abone in Core a, the rest by some process like that which Lord Salisbury had in his mind when he referred to it at the Guildhall last November in a manner ■which reminded some of bis hearers of the palmy days of the “Saturday Review,” when Lord Robert Cecil polished £he pages of that brilliant journal with most readable vitriol. ; On that same occasion Lord Salisbury i spoke of the Anglo-German agreement,; to which he referred as the guarantee for the integrity of the Chinese Empire,

am] the continuance-of the “open door.'’ That was encouraging at the time. But, unless supported by something more tangible, it will not be encouraging now. We arc face to face with a Rnsso-Chin-oss agreement which seriously disintegrates China, and substantially threatens the “open door.” with the uncomfortable political ex pedient of “ the closure.” is the Anglo - German agreement going to do to prevent these dangers? Tho "-Morning Post” declares that by this new treaty Russia lias command oi the whole country from Manchuria to Kashgar and Turkestan. That is, oi course, largely a figure of speech, but ■what it will be after a few years ox Russian protectorate it requires no ghost, to . tell us. The Anglo-German key oi the situation, appears, however, to be, if not po-.verless, at all events, silent.

There are those who declare that even Russia is a vast improvement cm v.nma anywhere, and in Manchuria 'move than most places. That is true,- for the presence or the Colossus means an cud ol tog;gy roads, mibvidge r rivers, annul, rondo:! countries, unfilled lands, and mi productive commerce. But the truth would become consoling to the British Empire if its people could be sure tnat the new and bettor regime would keep up the principle of the “open door.” < k that, however, there it no sign In

Manchuria ; and wherever Russia boh!* sway elsewhere our trade is shut out. Aaotlr-r chi-s of critics arret Mipr-rno indifference, on the specious ground that the possession of Manchuria clippies any further Russian advance in India, by giving the arm of tho Bear too muc!) to do in another direction. There declare that presently- China will wake, will find China too small for the Chinese, and boat the Russians to destruction in a war of giants. These' are dreams. Tho facts of recent history are plain enough. Wo had ships at Port Arthur, we removed them as an act of friendship asked for by-Russia, and tha.t. port is now Russian. The seizure of the port involved the control of its land communication, and tho seaboard of Lino-tong became Russian, under protectorate. The control of communications grew by- leaps and bounds into assumption of political control-, and that, in turn, in spite of denials and dipvmatic evasions, has produced a -protectorate. It may- not he too late to hope that the precaution which was not taken at any one of these turns will be taken now, after the most momentous of them. We confess, however, that- if the' precaution is taken bo protect British trade and its development, it will bo an agreeable surprise.