him.
20
next winter. I gathered that his wife and daughter were not unlikely to accompany
7. The bulk of the Russian fleet on the station was assembled at Vladivostock when I was there. In the harbour were six battle-ships, four first-class cruisers, one other cruiser, and several torpedo-boats. Much satisfaction was expressed at its having been found possible to dock six battle-ships in two and a-halt weeks. The amount of coal in stock was estimated at about 10,000 tons. An English steamer unloaded 3,000 tons of patent fuel from Cardiff during my visit. The new mine, some 50 versts from Vladivos- tock, is to be tried again, as nearly smokeless coal can be got from it. I was informed that the Sakhalien coal was of good quality, but that it was difficult to get it shipped owing to the want of good anchorages, the freight consequently being very high.
I have, &c.
CYPRIAN A. G. BRIDGE,
(Signed)
No. 28.
Vice-Admiral and Commander-in-chief.
The Marquess of Lansdowne to Sir E. Satow.
(No. 176.) (Telegraphic.) P.
Foreign Office, October 30, 1903. NEGOTIATIONS respecting the Tsechow-Taokow line. A deadlock is reported by Peking Syndicate's Agent, owing to an undertaking being required by Shông not to work iron.
According to original Concession this condition appears inconsistent with rights of Syndicate. Terms of recent Railway Agreement do not justify it either.
Has any representation been made to the Chinese Government?
(No. 333.) Sir,
No. 29.
The Marquess of Lansdowne to Sir E. Satow.
Foreign Office, October 31, 1903. I HAVE received your despatch No. 311 of 3rd September, relative to the inquiries addressed to you by Dr. Moule, the Bishop of Mid-China, with regard to direct correspondence between Missionaries and Chinese officials respecting Chinese
converts.
I approve the terms of the communication made by you to Dr. Moule, and also of the Circular on the subject which you have issued to His Majesty's Consuls in China.
I am, &c. (Signed) LANSDOWNE
No. 30.
The Marquess of Lansdowne to Sir E. Satow.
(No. 177.) (Telegraphic.) P.
Foreign Office, November 1, 1903. CHINESE indemnity. With reference to your telegram No. 243 of the 27th October, you may act with French colleague on the understanding that such action does not pledge His Majesty's Government to accept any treatment less favourable than other Powers may receive.
It has been pointed out to us by the Treasury that the proposal seems to be inconsistent with tenor of bonds which are to be signed by the Chinese Represen- tatives, since, while China pays in gold the full amount of the capital debt, she will be released from paying interest on amounts which may, owing to the depreciation of the tael, fall into arrear.
How, in your opinion, should this difficulty be met?
21
No. 31.
The Marquess of Lansdowne to Mr. Spring-Rice.
(No. 307.) Sir,
Foreign Office, November 7, 1903. THE Russian Ambassader, whom I had not seen since the 12th August, called on me this morning.
He told me that during his absence from this country he had had conversations with Count Lamsdorff as to Anglo-Russian relations at St. Petersburgh, earlier in the autumn, and again within the last few days at Paris. On the first occasion he had found Count Lamsdorff well disposed towards this country, and on the second his language was of an even more friendly character. Count Lamsdorff had instructed his Excellency to express his appreciation of our considerate and straightforward policy, particularly in so far as Macedonian affairs were concerned, and he admitted that although we had maintained our right to be critical our criticism had been neither unfair nor unfriendly. Count Lamsdorff felt strongly that it was of importance that an endeavour should be made to remove all sources of misunderstanding between the two Governments, and that there should be "a change for the better
in our relations. Count Benckendorff was therefore instructed to discuss frankly with me the various questions outstanding between Great Britain and Russia, with the object of arriving at an agreement as to the manner in which they should be dealt with. "In the meantime, the Russian Government would be careful to avoid any action bearing the appearance of hostility to this country. Count Benckendorff had been told that he was to go back to St. Petersburgh early in the new year for the purpose of reporting the result of his discussions with His Majesty's Government.
I expressed the pleasure which it gave me to learn Count Lamsdorff's views, and my readiness to contribute, so far as I was able, to such an understanding as has been suggested.
I was the more pleased at the prospect which was thus opened for us, because I had been seriously concerned at the position into which the two Powers were apparently drifting. I should be wanting in frankness if I did not tell his Excellency that the attitude of the Russian Government in regard to the question of our relations with Afghanistan bad created a most unpleasant impression in our minds.
I pointed out to his Excellency that the Russian demand, which had originally been merely that Afghan and Russian officials should be allowed to communicate with one another in regard to purely local questions of a non-political character, had undergone a remarkable development, the latest Russian demand being apparently for a right of direct intercourse with Afghanistan upon questions of all kinds, whether political or not, and for the right to send Russian Agents into Afghanistan.
Count Benckendorff here interrupted me by observing that the demand to send Agents into Afghanistan had been dropped, and that the proposal, thus limited, might form the subject of discussion between the two Governments. I said that 1 was glad to hear that the proposal to send Agents had been given up, but I reminded his Excellency that the last communication (that dated 6th October) which we had received from the Russian Government had closed the discussion in almost peremptory terms, so much so that I should have considered it inconsistent with my duty to reopen it. The action of the Russian Government, in refusing to allow a Russian officer to meet the British officer deputed to re-creet the boundary pillars on the Afghan frontier, seemed to me entirely inconsistent with the alleged desire to maintain amicable relations with this country. The pillars had originally been set up by British and Russian officers acting together, and it was surely natural that their restoration should be effected in a similar manner. I could not understand how the Russian Government should have declined a friendly overture unade in the circum- stances which I had described.
Count Benckendorff replied that the case was not one in which a new boundary was to be demarcated. All that was necessary was that certain posts which had fallen down should be set up again, and for this purpose it had not seemed necessary to resort to combined action.
I said that I was unconvinced by this argument, and that the incident would certainly produce a very bad effect on public opinion in this country. Count Benckendorff made no real attempt to defend the Russian note, and said something to the effect that Count Lamsdorff was away at the time when it was written, and that some official of the Russian Foreign Office was the author of it.
The conversation then turned to the Far East.
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