CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 747

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.965

İREC ¡Rect 25 OCT 09

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AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[37611]

No. 1.

[October 11.]

SECTION 5.

(No. 270.) Sir,

Sir C. MacDonald to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received October 11.)

Tokyo, September 23, 1909.

I HAD some conversation to-day with Count Komura with reference to the recently concluded agreements between China and Japan.

His Excellency said that, very shortly before the announcement made by Japan of her intention to take independent action in the Antung-Mukden Railway question, the Japanese Government had discovered that the Prince Regent was being kept in entire ignorance of the questions at issue between the two countries. Highness realised the state of affairs, he at once gave orders for the prompt settlement When His Imperial of the long outstanding Manchurian questions. This explained the rapidity with which these questions had finally been settled.

Count Komura said he was not disturbed by the attempts being made by certain Chinese students to organise a boycott of Japanese goods at Yingkow and elsewhere. The Japanese Government knew that the Chinese officials were doing their best to check any such movement. It was to the interest of the Chinese authorities to suppress these boycotts, from which each foreign Power might suffer in turn. If the endeavours of the authorities concerned were not successful, foreign intervention might have to be invoked in order to bring about the desired result. He knew that, as a matter of fact, the majority of Chinese merchants disapproved of boycotts, which would recoil on China. For instance, Japan exported a considerable quantity of marine products to China, and was able to dispose of these products at a low rate. If these Japanese exports were boycotted, the people, who consumed them, would suffer.

I said that a certain section of the Russian press appeared to be disturbed by the article in the recent Manchurian agreements relating to the eventual construction, on a date to be determined by China, of a line from Kirin to Hoiryong. Some Russian papers interpreted this article as a menace, in a certain eventuality, to Russian territory in the Far East. Count Komura said that he had noticed the press comments in question, but attached no importance to them. He knew that the Russian Government were quite reassured on the point.

I have, &c.

CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.

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