OCR Text |
Show Fit of Anger Hastened Death of H Hang C luing . A violent dispute wih Paul Lessar, Russian minister to China, over the Manchurian treatyf appears to have been the immediate cause of the death of Li Hung Chang. A fortnight ago the Japanese legation lega-tion secured a reliable outline of the terms of China's treaty with Russia, and thereupon demanded that the Chinese Chi-nese plenipotentiaries officially lay before be-fore them the text, basing this demand upon the allegation that Japanese interests in-terests were involved in any change of the status of Manchuria. The Chinese plenipotentiaries refused to comply with the demand. Thereupon the Japanese government, from Tokio, communicated with the southern viceroys and induced them to use their influence with the empress dowager against the treaty. In the meantime the empress dowager instructed in-structed Li Hung Chang to commuui-cate commuui-cate the treaty, after certain modifications, modifica-tions, to the ministers of the powers and, if they did not object, to sign the same. Li Hung Chang visited M. Lessar and explained to him his instructions. The Russian min ister strongly objected to revealing the text of the treaty to the ministers of the other powers, and a storm v interview ensued. Li TTiinn- Chang went home in a violent passion and had a hemorrhage, which the doctors doc-tors attribute to the overexertion of a weakened system. |