This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[April 27.]
SECTION 1.
502
(14299)
(No. 133.) Sir,
No. 1.
Mr. Bryce to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received April 27.)
*2
on the
Washington, April 11, 1908. VARIOUS conflicting statements having lately appeared in the press relative to the reported Russian demand for the right of municipal administration in Harbin, the police and licence regulations issued by the Russian Director of the Chinese Eastern Railroad and the American Consul's protest against them, I have the honour to inclose herewith two statements which have been made to the "New York Tribune" by the Russian Ambassador and the Secretary of State respectively. Baron Rosen corrects the exaggerated view published in the papers which have at once assumed that the request for recognition of Russian municipal authority in the part of Harbin which lies along the Chinese Eastern Railway was a denial of Chinese sovereignty in Manchuria on the part of the Russian Government and a violation of the Portsmouth Treaty,
His Excellency states that the settlements of foreign workmen round the railway stations and workshops necessitate some sort of regularly constituted municipal administration and argues that the establishment of such an administration is not inconsistent with the system of recognized foreign settlements in Chinese Treaty ports.
The statements attributed to Mr. Root set forth that although the pretensions of Russia in respect to government of the railway zone need not in any way impair the sovereignty of China over the territory, yet the American State Department will not permit the United States' Government to give any approval of the stringent police and licence orders recently issued by the Russian Governor-General of the railroad which on their face regulate to the minutest degree every phase of business and industry within that zone.
Mr. Bacon, on being asked some days ago by a member of the Embassy, whether he could give any information as to the Harbin situation and the line likely to be adopted by the United States' Government in this matter, said that no decision had yet been reached as the report on the subject, which the Secretary of State had asked their Consul at Harbin to supply had only just been received.
He went on to say that he personally sympathized with the desire of the Russians to establish some sort of municipal administration in their railway zone which with the increase of foreign population was becoming a matter of urgent necessity. At the same time care must be taken that the principle of the open door be not violated. Further, there was no doubt that advantage would be taken by Japan of any concession of this nature made to Russia, and this appeared to him perhaps the most serious side of the question.
Mr. Bacon did not in any way speak of the action of the Russian authorities as a violation of the Treaty of Portsmouth and spoke of the whole affair rather in the sense of the words attributed to Mr. Root as having been taken too seriously by the press and as being capable without difficulty of satisfactory adjustment.
I have, &c.
(Signed) JAMES BRYCE.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Extract from the "New York Tribune" of April 6, 1908.
BARON ROSEN, the Russian Ambassador, when asked to-day for an explicit statement regarding Russia's attitude in Manchuria, said that many statements recently printed regarding the situation at Harbin were misleading. In a general
[2921 dd-1]
[A]
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[April 27.]
SECTION 1.
502
(14299]
(No. 133.) Sir,
No. 1.
Mr. Bryce to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received April 27.)
*2
on the
Washington, April 11, 1908. VARIOUS conflicting statements having lately appeared in the press relative to the reported Russian demand for the right of municipal administration in Harbin, the police and licence regulations issued by the Russian Director of the Chinese Eastern Railroad and the American Consul's protest against them, I have the honour to inclose herewith two statements which have been made to the "New York Tribune subject by the Russian Ambassador and the Secretary of State respectively. Baron Rosen corrects the exaggerated view published in the papers which have at once assumed that the request for recognition of Russian municipal authority in the part of Harbin which lies along the Chinese Eastern Railway was a denial of Chinese sovereignty in Manchuria on the part of the Russian Government and a violation of the Portsmouth Treaty,
His Excellency states that the settlements of foreign workmen round the railway stations and workshops necessitate some sort of regularly constituted municipal administration and argues that the establishment of such an administration is not inconsistent with the system of recognized foreign settlements in Chinese Treaty ports.
The statements attributed to Mr. Root set forth that although the pretensions of Russia in respect to government of the railway zone need not in any way impair the sovereignty of China over the territory, yet the American State Department will not permit the United States' Government to any approval of the stringent police and licence orders recently issued by the Bussian Governor-General of the railroad which on their face regulate to the minutest degree every phase of business and industry within that zone.
Mr. Bacon, on being asked some days ago by a member of the Embassy, whether he could give any information as to the Harbin situation and the line likely to he adopted by the United States' Government in this matter, said that no decision had yet been reached as the report on the subject, which the Secretary of State had asked their Consul at Harbin to supply had only just been received.
He went on to say that he personally sympathized with the desire of the Russiaus to establish some sort of municipal administration in their railway zone which with the increase of foreign population was becoming a matter of urgent necessity. At the same time care must be taken that the principle of the open door be not violated. Further, there was no doubt that advantage would be taken by Japan of any concession of this nature made to Russia, and this appeared to him perhaps the most serious side of the question.
Mr. Bacon did not in any way speak of the action of the Russian authorities as a violation of the Treaty of Portsmouth and spoke of the whole affair rather in the sense of the words attributed to Mr. Root as having been taken too seriously by the press and as being capable without difficulty of satisfactory adjustment.
I have, &c.
(Signed) JAMES BRYCE.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Extract from the "New York Tribune" of April 6, 1908.
BARON ROSEN, the Russian Ambassador, when asked to-day for an explicit statement regarding Russia's attitude in Manchuria, said that many statements recently printed regarding the situation at Harbin were misleading. In a general
[2921 dd-1]
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