By this time it is evide thay Russia is the predomina Power in Manchuria, How far so-called evacuation is being carried out, in harmony with the wording of the' agreement made with China, it} is impossible to expl detail. According to the "Times" correspondent, who made a tour though Manchuria along the line of the _way a few months ago, the Russia troops are being transfer from the cities and dwellings of th Chinese to Russian barracks and houses adjoining the railway, for the defence ut the rail Tt may be taken for granted the turbulent population of Manchuria, and especially the many bands of band cannot be held in check by the military, force at the disposal of the anehn author and, furthermore, experiences of 1900, that and those engaged thereon have no gui ante of security except by the presence of Russian troops.
There may be a matter of dispute as to the number of Russian soldiers needed as a rail y guard. The fact j 3 remains that, with a r¢ able pretext, a large force is being retained along the line of the railway, and that, in consequence, new towns are growing up, away from the old town: and alongside of the railway. The Chinese and Manchu population locating in these newly-built, fast-gro ing towns and hamlets, naturally come y f this time shon'd be regarded as distinctively a Russi: one, as much so as the grand ti i la, The name Rus: Chinese Railway is no longer appropriate. Before the uprising of 1900, H-li Ching-cheng was Chinese Co-Director, drawing believe, from the Railway, ie, from sian funds, Int on his untimely dom in July of that year by ne, the reenguition Tne Chinese really failed to s, and should, therefore, have no say in the building and working of the railway, Arrangements seem to have been made whereby the mining interests of Manchuria may be controlled by the Russians. As a rule, such a joint arrangement is made by any syndicate gaining a concession in China to build a railway, at least so far as mines in the vicinity of the railway are concerned. This is the case with the Germans in their Shantung railway, and with the China Development Company in the Canton-Hankow railway.
The Russian Government is retaining at the three capital cities of Manchuria either military or civil administrators, with whom the Manchu Tartar Generals, must confer in all matters pertaining to the military. This method is judicious and " makes but is none the less efficafew Russian authorities thus retuned will have but little difficulty to retain the predominance, while free from all the troup! ing the authority out in all the outlying districts. The Russians are Ori enough to be able to succeed in producing results satisfactory to themselves in a system of utilising the Manchus to do the work, This method is really the most sensible one that could possibly be adopted in the acquisition of new territory in China.
Of late, reference has been made to the Russian desire to superintend th" Customs throughout Manchuria, Naturally within the limits of Port Talienwan, and the territory Teased to Russia, she can she pleases. As to foreign s passing beyond those: limits so-called Chinese territory, or nese goods passing from the hinterland through Russian domains out of the port of Dalny, some arrangement should be made to bring the collection of duties into the same system as the collection of duties at any of the treaty ports, Tins far Newchwang is the only treaty port of trade in Manchuria, In the Protocol of 1901, and the Mackay Treaty of 1902, no mention was made of making any more treat: ports in Manchuria," and, qui reasonably, Powers other than Russia will have difficulty in insisting on nw opening a new Custom Office under Sir Robert Hart, merely checkmate the desires of Russia. For all this China has only herself to blame. She made the-treaty with Russia about Southern Liaotung, and it is her own fault if she failed to speak definitely on the question of transit of goods through Russian jurisdiction. China was eager then to fall into the loving arms of a strong friend like Russia, and others were not consulted. is quite evident then that sia is the predominant Power in Manchuria, and that Manchuria is is under the Protectorate of Russia, or very much within her sphere of influence.
There is in all this one thing needing to be mentioned, which thus fur we have not seen noticed anywhere. In the Protocol of 1901, the Russian claim amounted to over 133,000,000 taels, or a little over one-third of the whole indemnity called for. Now it may well occur to the minds of all who ponder the indemnity question, why should not Russia forego a part, or even the whole, of her claim for money compensation, in lieu of the valuable ion she is acquiring 3 in the ancestral home of the Manchu Rulers of China? In case the "lieu" is not sufficient, b-cause Manchu officials are still retained in Manchuria an}a Russian Protectorate has not yet been apealy declared, a might easily be made. Tt is hardly the way for the United States to propose any deere we in the indemnity by adopting another rae of exchange.
would be entirely suitable for Russia te come forward to ease China's burdens, owing ty special privileges granted to her in acquiring the three provinces beyond the Great Wall in Manchuria,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.