January 10.
Wirn_ whatever fate the scheme of the United States Government for the neutralization of the Man. churian Railways may meet, it ig probable that the mere pro-will create a landmark in the history of Mauch: Powers concerned accept the suz-gestion, a new era will have been inaugurated for the Chinese province; if, on the other hand, either Russia or Japan or both reject it, a clear indication will have been given that, in spite of treaty undertakings and repeated assurances, the foreign hold now exercised apon Manchuria is not to be relaxed without a struzyle. the di of the world is coi ite own commendation. It is true tha: nothing you'd he more intelectual} skruptey of China present jin ture than 1h Attractive as the American proposal is, it has to he a scheme present attempt details. Given a on the part of Ru whole scheme after the pri a will come the question of finn and it may weill an insuperable 1 sum which, will yet satisfy the expec Russia and i monetary Upon both these countries: the surrender would impose a nance apart from the The the proposal made by Mr. Knox,]
mited States Secretary of State, is embodied in a memo-|4] random to the Powers interested in the Far East, and is to the effect that the neutralization of the Mun churian railways should be secured yect—upon Russia in respect o the Harbin-Vladi upon the leased Peninsula with the rail-li way in other nds As a set-off to the two Power by their sale to China, who would Mi Knox the removal raise the necessary fands by means of an international loan guarantees! by the Powers on the working of the railways. An international board would then, presumably, take charge and the' lines would be administered on a purely business and non-political basis. All misgivings with regard to the application of the policy of equal oppor-tonify in Manchuria would thus he removed, and the dunger of further hostilities in the Fur East would be practically eliminated by clos the railways to the transport of nto acts of ations of good wil to} and of their ford equal oppormnity ional trade, friction as there may be, howewr would appear to he between China and Russia on the one hand and China and Japan on the other not between Japan and would be necessary in order to predicate any keen desire on the part of these two Powers to put an
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.