CO129-363 - Public Offices & Others - 1909 — Page 182

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Governm w

215

AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[40970]

No. 1.

2 DEC 00

[November 8.]

SECTION 1.

181

(No. 382.) Sir,

Sir J, Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received November 8.)

Peking, October 19, 1909, I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch from His Majesty's acting-consul general at Mukden regarding the friction which recently The despatch from occurred between the Russian and German authorities at Harbin. His Majesty's vice-consul at Dairen, to which Mr. Willis refers, will doubtless have reached you through His Majesty's Ambassador at Tokyo.

The incident was one of little importance in itself, but, taken with other recent occurrences at Harbin, it shows the necessity of regularising on some international basis the status of the Russian railway settlement at that place. M. Korostovetz, the Russian Minister here, left yesterday for Harbin, where he will await the arrival of the Russian Minister of Finance, M. Kokovtsov, with whom the whole question will, it is understood, be fully discussed before entering upon the negotiations contemplated by article 17 of the preliminary agreement of the 10th May last.

M. Korostovetz called upon me twice before he started, but I regret to say that I missed seeing him on both occasions owing to engagements connected with Lord Kitchener's visit.

(Copy to Tokyo.)

Inclosure in No. 1.

I have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN,

(No.52.) Sir,

Acting Consul-General Willis to Sir J. Jordan.

Mukden, October 16, 1909. WITH reference to the despatch No. 28 of the 14th instant of His Majesty's vice-consul at Dairen, enclosing translation of an article from a Japanese newspaper ou Russo-German friction in Harbin, I have the honour to report as follows:-

I have gathered from conversation with Dr. Heintges, my German colleague, that

the facts of the recent Harbin incident are much as follows.

Some four or five years ago a brewery was established in Harbin by Russian and German merchants jointly. Owing to the conditions obtaining in Harbin, the land and buildings were registered in the name of the Russian partners, and the company thus acquired a Russian status vis-à-vis the Russian authorities.

Recently the brewery company has been in difficulties, and suits having been. brought against them in the Russian courts, judgment was given to the effect that the property should be sold for the benefit of the creditors. The German partners, who at this time held a predominant interest in the concern, objected to the judgment, and asked for the assistance of their consul, Dr. Daumiller.

Dr. Daumiller seems to have acted somewhat impetuously, and Dr. Heintges He received instructions to proceed to Harbin to enquire into the matter. found that the brewery company had on several previous occasions accepted the protection of the Russian authorities, and in the present suit had offered no protest to the jurisdiction until after judgment had been given.

Dr. Heintges therefore came to the conclusion that the brewery was practically under Russian jurisdiction, and that the German merchants had no claim to be supported in their protest.

The matter is now amicably settled, and there would seem to be no ground for supposing that the boycott that was at one time threatened is to be made effective.

[2495 h-1]

I have, &c.

ROBERT WILLIS.