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cigarette, or a drink of water to the thirsting horses the men rode. The Chinese looked on with as much indifference as the foreigners showed.
This would appear to have been a rare display of bias against the Japanese.
The vexed question of neutrality
Both the Japanese and Russians accused each other of breaching the neutrality of China. China's neutrality was hard to sustain. Problems were mainly caused by trade being maintained as usual by neutral powers at and through Treaty Ports with both belligerents.
It was claimed that contraband included arms, coal, rice, flour and eggs. Traders in China furnished supplies with impartiality to both sides, but China feared that any breaches of neutrality could lead to retaliation against them. The brunt of maintaining a sort of neutrality fell upon the Chinese Maritime Customs.
Russia was the first to bring categorical charges of breaches of neutrality against China. In late 1904 they raised the following seven points in their note to the Western Powers:
(1) The use by Japan of the (Chinese) Miao Islands as a naval base
(2) The transport of Japanese military material, stores, etc., by the Shanhai Kuan - Newchwang (Niuzhuang) Railway
(3) The supply of material to the Japanese from the Hongkew Ironworks,
(4) The enrolment of Chinese soldiers in the Japanese Army.
(5) The engagement of Japanese officers for the purpose of drilling Chinese on the frontier.
(6) The organising of Hunhutses to fight against Russia.
(7) The seizure by the Japanese of the destroyer Rechitelni at Chefoo.
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