THE CRISIS IN CHINA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2454, 27 March 1901, Page 17

THE CRISIS IN CHINA.

THE GAME OF DIPLOMACY. RUSSIA AND MAXCIIURIA. SUPPOSED RUSSO-GERMAN AGREEMENT. FRENCH TROOPS TO BE WITHDRAWN. THE SIDING DIFFICULTY. RUSSIA'S SECRET AGREEMENT. BRITISH AND RUSSIAN TROOPS WIT.HIJ.KAW. THE JSNI> OF THE SLPING DISPUTE. £OTH PufiOES WITHDRAWN. THE .FRENCH JEER AT THE i INDIAN. TROPPS. ARBITRATION IN THE SIDING DISPUTE. LONDON, March 18. The Standard states that Admiral Alesieff is at the bottom of the Tientsin incident, and that he is constantly creating difficulties. Mv Ting Fang, Chinese Minister at Washington, has .been instructed to advise the court whether the Manchurian agreement is inimical to China's interests. Mr Hay informed Mv Ting Fang that it was urgent that America should know Russia's intentions. Forty disorderly French soldiers have been arrested at Tientsin. : Reuter learns in London that the assurances on the 6th inst. of Count Lamsdorff, Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Sir Charles Scott, British ambassador to Russia, refemd to the Alexieff-Txmg agreement overFork -Arthur cm .November, '23, and not to the St. Petersburg agreement received in Peking on February 23. If the assurances on the 6th that^ussia was riot engaged in negotiations are true, a new treaty was arranged a fortnight following; 1 , which is gravely doubted. It is believed negotiations were progressing long prior to the 6th. *'' March 19. \ It is expected that 10,000 French troops liow in China will shortly return. 1 Count Waldfcrsee has authoritatively intervened with a view to ending the mutually hostile attitude of the British and Prussians at Tientsin. The New York Herald's Tientsin correspondent states that the Russian general Wogack has declined Count yon Waldersee's compromise in the matter of the railway dispute with the British. Mr Balfour, in the House of Commons, said that the mission of H.M.S. Plover to the Elliott and Blonde Islands in January was to suppress Chinese pirates, and was done in pursuance of article 52 of the Treaty of Tientsin. The Times' s Berlin correspondent says that there is a well-founded and widespread belief in the existence of a Russo-Gennan treaty, containing mutual assurance on (Jliine3e questions. March 20. ~ A Reuter message states that both the British and Russian commanders at Tientsin siding await orders from their Governjnenl.e. The Russians state that their orders are to fire if anyone commences work. The English troops in the trenches originally outnumbered the Russians. There are iiow 21 in the trenches, which are 45ft apart. ' It is semi-officially stated in, Beilin that General yon Waldersee, with" a, view to ending the spectacle of discord, mediated, and, for military reasons, insisted on the withdrawal of even small patrols at the Tientsin siding, but decided that a settlement of the dispute was outside his sphere. Lord George Hamilton states that the sentries on both sides remain in their previous positions. They had received strict orders not to assume the aggressive. No disturbance is anticipated. Acknowledging the assistance rendered to China by the intervention of England. America, and Japan, Prince Ching confirmed Dr Morrison's message of Sunday ,'3ast. Russia invokes an unpublished agreement to show that the Shan-hai-kwan-Niu-chwang railway concession is a breach of 'her rights. Prince Ching has admitted the existence of such a document. Dr Morrison is convinced that Li Hung Chang's secret agreement of 1896 was the first of a series of such documents, and is of opinion ■ that China ought to be compelled to dis- \ close them, otherwise the restoration of stability in the Far East is hopeless. The Australians left Tientsin for home on Tuesday. Count Waldersee proposed to place a . body of neutrals to guard the railway sid--dng pending an inquiry, but General Wo- ' "gack (Russia) declined to discuss the question of ownership unless Britain made preparation for occupying the land. If the British had requested a land siding, Russia doubtless would have granted it. Lord Cranborne has stated £hat neither

the generals nov Sir E. M. Satow had been instructed not to resist a Russian seizure. Russia has ordered her Port Arthur troops to proceed to Tientsin. Ninety British marines have replaced the Sikhs at the Tientsin siding, and the Fusiliers are expected to arrive there to-day. March 21. The British at Tientsin are reinforcing, the better to maintain order in the event of trouble from the French sympathising with the Russians. According to a Reuter's message, the sentries at the siding on either side are under orders to refrain from aggression unless the conduct of the other paity compels action. Hearing that Colonel Campbell and General Wogack had received instructions from their Governments, Count yen Waldersee has replied that diplomacy must settle the question. There are persistent reports that friendly negotiations between London and St. Petersburg have decided the real facts of the concession. The substitution of cool-headed marines for Indians (Sikhs) was intended to minimise the possibility of an untoward incident. ' Eight hundred artillerymen have sailed from Odessa for Port Arthur. The British outposts and lines of communication are concentrating at Tientsin. Kinder's siding gives access to the wharfage connected with the coal mines. In tile House of Lords, Lord Lansdowne stated that Russia and England had each withdrawn, their troops from the railway siding at Tientsin pending an examination of the titles. M. Baillond (Minister at Peking) is inquiring into the French soldiers' recent disorderly conduct. j French gendarmes have been placed outside the British concession in order to prevent French- soldiers from entering, and the Australian Naval Brigade are outside the French concession to prevent the Sikhs from catering. 'March 22. Lord George Hamilton states that General Barrow restricted himself to the protection of British rights to the land. He believed it was the property of the railway administration. Count yon Waldersee was present when Generals Barrow and Wogack arranged for the withdrawal at daybreak yesterday. Work k suspended until a drplo- , matic 'settlement. The Marquis of -Lansdowne, in the House -of Lords, said, owing to the affront offered to the Russian flag 1 by Great Britain on ' the 16th, he had instructed General Gaselee to invite Count yon Waldersee to arbitrate, reserving • the question of titles. He had also requested ■ General Gaselee to avoid force, except to repel aggression. It is understood that if either, side is found blameable for an irregularity an apology will be forthcoming. In his speech in the House of Loids the Marquis of Lansdowne said Count Lamsdorff (Russian Foreign Minister) proposed to Sir Charles Scott (Britisjb Ambassador) a simultaneous withdrawal, with a reservation as to the question of the title to Kinder's siding. Great Britain agreed, and orders were thereupon sent to both forces to withdraw under Count yon Waldersee's supervision. The incident ended, and what was a small matter of -strictly local im- ! portance would not disturb the relations t of the Government. — (Cheers.) Viscount Cranborne said the Government regarded Count Lams=dorffs assurances to Sir Charles Scott on February 6th and 27th as applicable to any Russo-Chinese Manchurian agreement. The Australian naval contingent volunteered for service at the Tientsin siding. Admiral Seymour objected. The military authorities are anxious to retain the Australians. They are just the men they need. The Port Arthur regiment has been ordered to Tientsin. "Although the trouble is suspended British officers are not permitted to sleep out of their quarters. Advices received in New Yoik from Peking state that an Imperial decree dated from Si-ngan-fu rejects even the amended Manchurian treaty. March 23. The marines arrived opportunely, replacing in the dead of night the Sepoy sentries, who were previously made a butt for the jeers of the French soldiers, who used the epithet " cooliefe " to them. General Baillond punished the offenders. The French Eoldiers Tiave been readmitted to the British settlements. The British and Russians were withdrawn from the siding yesterday, as arranged. The Russian flag was saluted, and salutes were exchanged, the British declaring that no affront had been intended, and that they never ordered the removal of the boundary marks. Dr Morrison says the amended convention abandons the annexation of King-Chu, and confines the exclusive commercial and industrial privileges to Manchuria. It omits the stipulation limiting foreigners' right to lease land to the Niuchwang Railway Company. It insists that Russia shall make and guard the railway to the Great Wall, and makes reparation for infringements of Russia's secret rights to the Shan-hai-kwan railway. The Times St. Petersburg correspondent says that after Count Lamsdorff's assurance to Sir Charles Scott with reference to the vivendi in Manchuria, the Marquis of Lansdowne asked for a copy of the actual draft of the convention. Count tamsdorff angrily and peremptorily refused, adding that he 'had offered a full and sufficient explanation. Count Lamsdorff is indignant at Li Hung Chang for divulging the content^

March 24. Other French troops -will succeed the unruly Parisian regiment at Tientsin. March 25. One hundred of the Hongkong regiment has reinforced the British forces at Tientsin. The municipalities presented each member of the Australian naval contingent with a testimonial in recognition of their behaviour during the crisis. The Victorian contingent sails for Australia by the transport Chingtu to-day. The Daily Express states that the Russian flags remain flying on the railway siding at Tientsin. The Times St. Petersburg correspondent states that Count Lamsdorff and Lord .Salisbury have agreed to accept Count yon Walder&ee's arbitration over the Tientsin siding.