Owing to the fact that the withdrawal of the troops from Manchuria not
having sufficiently progressed, the Japanese Government hitherto have
neither permitted citizens and vessels of foreign countries to enter the
ports and regions of Manchuria nor allowed foreign consuls to proceed to
their posts therein. Considerable progress, however, having now been
made in this respect, the Japanese Government have decided, in
accordance with the principles of open door and equal opportunity ever
advocated by them, to permit citizens and vessels of foreign countries
to enter An-tung-hsien and Ta-tung-kao from May 1, and to allow foreign
consuls to proceed to their posts at An-tung-hsien from the same date.
From June 1 foreign consuls will be allowed to proceed to their posts at
Mukden, and traveling of foreigners in the interior of Manchuria will be
generally permitted in so far as military exigencies do not prevent it.
It has further been decided that the Japanese Government will open
Darien to the commerce of the world in as near future as possible.
Judging from the present condition of the interior of Manchuria it is
impossible for the Japanese authorities to afford such foreign travelers
adequate protection and facilities in regard to houses and other
matters. Those, therefore, who enter the interior of Manchuria do so
entirely on their own account and at their own risk, and the Japanese
Government do not hold themselves responsible for an injury or damage
which they may suffer from bandits or other marauders.
Informal memorandum accompanying
foregoing.
I regret that the real condition of Manchuria and the true motive of
the Imperial Government are not clearly known to the United States
Government.
At the time of the conclusion of peace between Japan and Russia the
number of imperial troops in Manchuria reached several hundred
thousand and the quantities of arms and ammunition and necessary
supplies of all kinds were in proportion. It is needless to say that
the withdrawal of such an enormous army is no easy matter.
According to the memorandum agreed upon by the commanders in chief of
the Japanese and Russian armies in Manchuria the withdrawal is to be
carried in four periods.
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On the Japanese side, the troops were to be withdrawn to the south of
Chang-tu before the end of the last year, and to the south of
Tieling before June 1, 1906, to the south of Mukden before August 1,
and to complete it by April, 1907.
Despite this arrangement, the Imperial Government desired to withdraw
the main bodies of the armies as quickly as possible and acted
accordingly. In consequence of this, it has progressed comparatively
rapidly, but the confusion and complications arising from such
hurried action is, even at present, beyond imagination of those who
have not witnessed them.
Alike in Japan as in other countries, it is impossible to admit
foreigners into the territories occupied by their troops immediately
after the conclusion of peace. One of the main difficulties in
admitting foreigners into Manchuria is in respect of language. They
neither speak Japanese nor Chinese and lots of misunderstandings
arise from this fact. For this very reason, the commanders in chief
of the respective armies in Manchuria stipulated in the memorandum
above referred to that neither side shall admit strangers in the
territories occupied by the respective armies and that there shall
be no coming and going between the respective territories except
under special mutual agreement. Although we allow even Russians
within our territories for the special purpose of attending to the
matters concerning private properties left therein, the Russians
have not reciprocated this courtesy and strictly prohibit any
Japanese going into their territory.
Such being the actual conditions in Manchuria, the Imperial
Government has been reluctantly compelled to temporarily restrain
the entrance of foreigners into Manchuria. As to the Japanese
merchants, most of them entered the seat of war with our armies to
supply them with necessaries and still remain there. Doubtless many
others have gone there since then. But these people are under the
strict and complete control of the military authorities.
Besides, there is no fear of trouble with them in respect of language
and less danger of their letting military secrets out than the
general foreigners would, all of whom are not necessarily our
friends.
However, the present situation is only temporary, necessitated by the
conditions prevailing actually in Manchuria, and nothing is further
from the thought of the Imperial Government than to attempt to
monopolize the trade of Manchuria in violation of the principles of
open door and equal opportunity for which they have pledged their
honor.
On the contrary, as it is their sincere desire to respect these
principles they have decided to open Manchuria even before the
completion of the withdrawal of the troops, and despite the great
inconvenience which will have to be experienced by them on this
account.
