CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 743

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.f. O.

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AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

34965

701 RECO

(REGE 25 OCT 09

[October 11.]

SECTION 1.

[37480]

No. 1.

!

(No. 545.) Sir,

Sir A. Nicolson to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received October 11.)

St. Petersburgh, October 6, 1909. I HAPPENED to meet the French Minister, M. de Panafieu, at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs this afternoon, and I enquired of him whether he had made any repre- sentations to the Russian Government in regard to certain articles of the arrangement signed at Peking on the 27th April (10th May) between the Russian and Chinese Governments. M. de Panafieu replied that some time ago he had spoken to M. Isvolsky on the subject of the position of foreigners at Harbin, and had intimated that certain provisions of the arrangement would require the assent of other Powers. He had made no representations properly speaking, and his conversation had merely been observations. He had last week brought officially to the notice of the Russian Government certain complaints made by Greek residents at Harbin as to the confiscation of their merchandise and other vexatious measures on the part of the Russian railway authorities. The Greeks were under French protection, and this was the reason why he had intervened on their behalf. But this step had no connection with the general question, and was of a special and limited character.

M. Sazanow had mentioned previously to me that he would let me have in a day or two the memorandum which the Russian Government were preparing as to the legal situation of Harbin, and it has just reached my hands, after I had dispatched my telegram No. 452 of to-day's date. I have the honour to enclose a copy. I would submit that I should take no steps in the matter until you have had an opportunity of examining the aide-mémoire and giving your observations ou certain important points which seem to me to be raised in it.

I have, &c.

A. NICOLSON,

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Note by Russian Government respecting Legal Situation of Harbin.

LA situation légale de Kharbine ayant donné lieu en ces derniers temps à quelques malentendus regrettables, au point de vue de l'établissement de l'ordre et du développement du commerce international dans cette ville, le Ministère des Affaires Etrangères a l'honneur de transmettre ci-joint à l'Ambassade d'Angleterre un aide- mémoire exposant le point de vue du Gouvernement Impérial sur cette question.

Le texte de la convention signée à Pékin le 27 avril (10 mai), année courante, se trouve également sous ce pli.*

Saint-Pétersbourg, le 23 septembre

(6 octobre), 1909.

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Aide-mémoire.

LES représentants de plusieurs Puissances qui possèdent des intérêts commerciaux

en Chine ont soulevé, tant à Pékin qu'à Saint-Pétersbourg, des doutes sur les droits d'administration exercés actuellement à Kharbine par la municipalité locale.

* For text of convention see inclosure in Sir J. Jordan's despatch No. 190 of May 28, 1909 (Confidential Print, Affairs of China, June 14, section 2).

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