[Inclosure.—Translation.]
a government communication.
[From the Official Messenger,
St. Petersburg, January
27/February 9, 1904.]
During the past year the Tokyo cabinet, under the pretense of
establishing equality (equilibrium) and a better order of things on
the shores of the Pacific Ocean, applied to the Imperial Government
with the proposal of revising the existing treaties upon Korean
affairs, to which Russia expressed consent.
With imperial sanction, in view of the establishment at the time of a
viceroyalty in the Far East, the formation of a project of a new
treaty with Japan was placed under the management of
Lieutenant-General Alexieff with the collaboration of the Russian
minister in Tokyo, whose duty it was to conduct negotiations with
the Japanese Government.
Notwithstanding the fact that in August last friendly views were
exchanged on the subject between the two Governments, as is known,
Japanese social circles and local, as well as the foreign press of
every sort (bcirrecku), tried to arouse warlike feeling among the
Japanese and to instill the Government to an armed struggle with
Russia.
Under the influence of these circumstances the Tokyo cabinet became
more and more exacting in its negotiations, taking at the same time
the most extreme measures to prepare the country for war.
Of course these circumstances combined could not disturb the peace of
Russia, but obliged her on her part to make corresponding
military-naval preparations. Nevertheless, animated with the earnest
desire to maintain peace in the Far East as far as her
unquestionable rights and interests permitted, Russia with careful
consideration accepted the declarations of the Tokyo Government and
expressed her readiness to recognize the preponderant
commercial-economic situation of Japan on the Korean peninsula,
including the resort to armed forces in case of trouble in the
country.
At the same time, however, strictly keeping to the basis of her
original policy with regard to Korea, namely, Korea’s independence
and territorial integrity, which were guaranteed by preceding
treaties with Japan, as well as in the treaties with other powers,
Russia could but demand—
- 1.
- The mutual and absolute guaranty of the first-named
stipulation;
- 2.
- The obligation not to make use of any point on Korean
territory for strategetical purposes, as any infringement of
this clause on the part of any power whatsoever would be
contrary to the principal of the independence of Korea, and,
finally,
- 3.
- The maintenance of full freedom to navigate through the
Gulf of Korea.
The project elaborated in this sense did not, however, receive the
assent of the Japanese Government, which in its last proposals not
only declined to accept such conditions, which appeared as a
guaranty of the independence of Korea, but at the same time began to
demand the inclusion in the said project of questions pertaining to
Manchuria.
Such interference on the part of Japan could not, of course, be
permitted.
The question of the situation of Russia in Manchuria belongs first of
all to China itself, and secondly to all the powers having
commercial interests with the Celestial Empire; in consequence of
this the Imperial Government most decidedly did not see fit to
include in a separate treaty with Japan on Korean affairs any
stipulation whatever referring to the districts occupied by Russian
forces.
The Imperial Government at the same time does not refuse to
recognize, during the time of the military occupation of Manchuria,
the Chinese authorities as supreme power in these districts, as well
as the privileges which the powers have obtained through treaties
concluded by them with China, with regard to which proper
declarations were made to the foreign cabinets.
In view of this the Imperial Government, in instructing its
representative in Tokyo to transmit its reply to the last Japanese
proposal, had a right to expect that the Tokyo cabinet would take
into consideration the importance of the above formulated views and
would value the desire of Russia to arrive at a peaceful
understanding with Japan.
The Japanese Government nevertheless, without waiting for any reply,
has decided to break off negotiations and to discontinue diplomatic
relations with Russia.
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Putting upon Japan all the responsibility for the consequences which
may ensue from such a manner of action, the Imperial Government will
await the development of events, and upon the first necessity it
will take decisive measures for the defense of its rights and
interests in the Far East.
