This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.] 78
C O
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[14140]
No. 1.
15575
[April 25.]
SECTION 3.
REC? RECP 23 MAY 10
Mr. Max Müller to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received April 25.)
(No. 106.) Sir,
Peking, April 9, 1910. SOME little time ago the Russian Minister approached me in regard to the possibility of devising some scheme by which the Russian police authorities at Harbin might be kept informed of the identity of the various foreigners coming to and residing in that town. M. Korostovetz told me that there was a large floating population of doubtful antecedents and character, and that the absence of information as to the nationality of these individuals was a great handicap to the police in the proper execution of their work. I told M. Korostovetz that there could, of course, be no question of the Russian police claiming the right to examine the passports of British subjects, but that I would request His Majesty's consul at Harbin to discuss the matter with his Russian colleague and try and devise some means of giving the necessary information to the Russian authorities without prejudice to our exterritorial rights.
I have the honour to enclose a letter from Mr. Sly embodying the result of his discussion with the Russian consul-general.
Mr. Sly confirms what M. Korostovetz told me as to the necessity of facilitating the work of the Russian police in the sense desired, and suggests, as the simplest method of attaining that object, that a list of registered British subjects, with their addresses, should be given to the Russian consul-general, and that, as regards temporary residents, the police, if suspicious of them and in doubt as to their nationality, should refer to the Russian consul-general, who could apply to the British consulate for information on the point. Any information given or sought should be furnished and requested through the Russian consul-general.
I propose, subject to your approval, to authorise Mr. Sly to adopt the above system, and in bringing it to the knowledge of the Russian Minister I shall point out that it must be regarded as a purely friendly and informal arrangement, adopted with a view to facilitating the work of the police without prejudice to the exterritorial rights of British subjects, or to any subsequent agreement regarding the status and municipal administration of Harbin.
I have, &c.
W. G. MAX MÜLLER,
Enclosure in No. 1.
Dear Mr. Max Müller,
Acting Consul Sly to Mr. Max Müller,
Harbin, March 27, 1910. I HAVE, as desired in your letter of the 13th instant, discussed with M. Poppe the request preferred by the Russian police authorities to be informed of the identity of the various foreigners coming to and residing in Harbin.
I gather from him that 70 odd per cent of the Russian population here comes from Siberia, that it largely consists of people of doubtful character or antecedents, and that escaping convicts from Siberia not infrequently make their way hither. Further, that it has happened that when individuals of Russian nationality suspected by the police have been called upon to produce their passports they have rejoined that they were foreigners, hoping thereby to baffle the attempts of these authorities to establish their identity.
Taking all the circumstances into consideration, including the fact that Harbin--- I exclude the Chinese town of Fu Chia Tien-is, as Willis said in his Accounts despatch No. 25 of the 27th November last, to all intents a Russian town in which the whole of the policing is done by the Russians, I think that there can be no objection to facilitating the work of the police in the sense desired, provided that any information given or sought is furnished and requested through the Russian consul-general.
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