Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 6, 1910

The Russian Ambassador to the Secretary of State.

[Translation.]

Russian Embassy,
Washington, June 28–July 11, 1910.

No. 335.]

Mr. Secretary of State: By order of my Government I caused to be delivered to the Department of State a copy of a convention between Russia and Japan, signed at St. Petersburg June 21–July 4 by Mr. Iswolsky, minister for foreign affairs, and Baron Motono, ambassador of Japan near the imperial court.

I am also instructed to express to your excellency, in taking this step, the hope that you will be pleased to find in this convention, which once more attests our pacific relations with Japan, and is aimed at neither the interests of China nor those of the other powers, an additional pledge for the stability of general peace in the Far East.

I seize this occasion, Mr. Secretary of State, etc.,

Rosen.

[Inclosure—Translation.]

Copy of a convention signed at St. Petersburg, June 21–July 4, 1910, by Mr. Iswolsky, minister for foreign affairs, and Baron Motono, ambassador of Japan.

The Imperial Government of Russia and the Imperial Government of Japan, sincerely adhering to the principles established by the convention concluded between them July 17–30, 1907, and desiring to develop the effects of that convention with a view to the consolidation of peace in the Far East, have agreed to complete the said arrangement with the following provisions:

• Article I. With the object of facilitating communications and developing the commerce of nations, the two high contracting parties engage to lend each other their friendly cooperation with a view to the amelioration of their respective railway lines in Manchuria and the improvement of the connecting service at the junctions of the said railways and to refrain from any competition inimical to the accomplishment of that purpose.
• Art. II. Each contracting party undertakes to maintain and respect the status quo in Manchuria as resulting from all the treaties, conventions, or other arrangements concluded up to this date either between Russia and Japan or between those two powers and China. Copies of the said arrangements have been exchanged between Russia and Japan.
• Art. III. Should any event arise likely to threaten the above-mentioned status quo the two high contracting parties will in every case open communications between themselves so as to agree upon such measures as they may deem necessary to take for the maintenance fo the said status quo.