3
"
8
to the Ministers of the United States, England, Germany, and France, in Peking by the Wai-wu Pu.
Art. 20. Eight sets of this agreement are executed in English and Chinese, four sets to be retained by the Government and one set by each group and (or) bank. In the event of any doubt arising regarding the interpretation of this contract the English text shall rule.
Signed at Peking, &c.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
со
13346
[B]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[11815]
No. 1.
110
[March 27-
SECTION 2.
May
(No. 60. Confidential.) Sir,
Sir Edward Grey to Sir C. MacDonald.
Foreign Office, March 27, 1911. THE Japanese Ambassador spoke to me to-day about the dispute between Russia and China. He said that the Russian Ambassador in Tokyo had informed Count Komura that, in order to protect the railway, the Russian Government might have to send some troops into Manchuria and place them where they could be sent easily to any part of the railway which was threatened by the Chinese, who at some points were in superior force to the Russians. The Russian Government hoped that the Japanese Government would not regard this as an infringement of the Treaty of Portsmouth. Count Komura had replied that, under the present very exceptional circumstances, be could not take objection to what the Russian Government proposed to do; but that he hoped that any force sent would be limited strictly to the absolute requirements indicated by the Russian Ambassador, and would be withdrawu as soon as the emergency was over.
The Ambassador asked me what information I had.
I told him confidentially the news Sir George Buchanan had received from our consul at Vladivostock as to the movements of Russian troops, as reported in Sir G. Buchanan's telegram No. 69 of the 26th instant. I also told him that Sir George Buchanan, having received this information, had taken an occasion to remind the Russian Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of the voluntary assurance given some weeks ago, that there would be no operations in Manchuria. In reply, he had been told in general terms the same as the Russian Ambassador in Tokyo had told Count Komura.
[1918 dd-2]
I am &c.
E. GREY.