[Untitled]
Washington, December 21, 1903.
(Copy of a telegram received from the minister for foreign affairs December 21, 1903, left with the Secretary of State.)
You are hereby instructed to communicate the following information to the United States Government:
The development of affairs in Manchuria threatening the principle of equal opportunity and endangering the territorial integrity of China has seriously dissappointed all the powers having commercial and political interests in the Par East, who had been led to entertain, with regard to the future of Manchuria, more or less hopeful views by the repeated and unequivocal declarations of the Russian Government. But what is of still more serious concern to Japan is that the indefinite occupation of Manchuria by Russia would be continual menace to Korea, whose independence Japan considers absolutely essential to her own repose and safety.
It was with the object of removing this just and natural anxiety, caused by the unsettled conditions in Manchuria as well as in Korea, and of adjusting in an amicable manner the mutual interests of Japan and of Russia in the region where those interests meet, that the Government of Japan approached the Russian Government last August in a spirit of frankness and conciliation.
On the latter’s signifying their willingness to enter upon negotiations Japan proposed as the basis of the negotiation:
- 1.
- The definition of the interests, respectively, of Japan in Korea and of Russia in Manchuria.
- 2.
- Mutual agreement as to the measures which each may take for the purpose of protecting the defined interests.
- 3.
- Mutual agreement to respect the independence and territorial integrity of China and of Korea and to maintain the principle of equal opportunity in the two Empires for the commerce and industry of all nations.
Russia presented to Japan her counter proposal on November 3 last. In it Japan was asked to declare Manchuria and its littoral as entirely outside her sphere of interests and to make the stipulation applicable exclusively to Korea, the Chinese Empire being left entirely untouched. Moreover, Russia proposed to make the territory of Korea lying in the north of the thirty-ninth parallel a neutral zone into which neither of the contracting powers should introduce troops.
That this counter proposal fell short of the object which the Imperial Government had in view in inviting the Russian Government, as above [Page 620] mentioned, need hardly be stated. The Japanese Government found it impossible to understand the difficulty which prevented Russia’s stipulation to respect the independence and territorial integrity of China as well as the treaty rights in Manchuria, such stipulation being so entirely in consonance to her repeated declarations.
The Japanese Government was therefore compelled to propose amendments insisting upon the joint agreement by Japan and Russia to respect the independence and territorial integrity of China as well as those of Korea, and not to interfere with the commercial and residential rights, and immunities enjoyed by Japan and Russia, respectively, by virtue of their treaties with China and Korea. The Imperial Government agreed to the establishment of a neutral zone in the northern part of Korea provided that a similar zone of equal extent be created in Manchuria along the Korea-Manchuria frontier. They also proposed, respectively, to declare Manchuria and Korea as outside of their special interests.
After a considerable delay the Russian second counter proposal reached Japan a few days ago. In this proposal all representations of Japan which she made in proposing the amendments were found futile. The Russian Government adhere more than ever to their original position and positively refuse to treat the Manchurian question with any power but China. Even those points on which myself and the Russian minister to Tokyo had already arrived at agreement ad referendum are now rejected. Practically, therefore, Russia now proposes to preclude from the agreement the article relating to Manchuria, making it a pure and simple Korean arrangement.