“2. To maintain Article 6 concerning a neutral zone (this for the very purpose which the Imperial Japanese Government has likewise in view, that is to say, to eliminate everything that might lead to misunderstanding in the future; a similar zone, for example, exists between the Russian and British possessions in Central Asia).
“In case the above conditions are agreed to, the Russian Government would be prepared to include in the projected agreement an article of the following tenor:—
“‘Recognition by Japan of Manchuria and her littoral as being outside her sphere of interests, whilst Russia, within the limits of that province, will not impede Japan nor other Powers in the enjoyment of the rights and privileges acquired by them under existing treaties with China, exclusive of the establishment of settlements.’”—N.-R., No. 38.
[650]. See British Parliamentary Papers: China, No. 2 (1902), Nos. 133, 136, 139, 142.
[651]. His statements to the journalists on February 10 and at the Lower House on February 23.
[652]. It is interesting to note that the Russian Representatives abroad declared to the Powers about the same time as the third counter-note was delivered at Tokio, that Russia “had no intention whatever of placing any obstacle in the way of the continued enjoyment by foreign Powers of the rights acquired by them [in Manchuria] in virtue of the treaties now in force.” The exclusion of foreign settlements was not mentioned, but, judging from the counter-note of January 6, was implied.
When Count Benckendorff, Russian Ambassador at London, handed the memorandum on January 8 to Lord Lansdowne, the latter made characteristically blunt remarks, as will be seen from the following dispatch from him to Sir C. Scott: “... I could not help regretting that Russia should have found it impossible to take even a single step in pursuance of the policy which she has thus prescribed for herself [regarding the evacuation of Manchuria]. I trusted that his Excellency would forgive me for telling him frankly that, in this country, people were looking for some concrete evidence of Russia’s intention to make good her promises. An announcement, for example, that Niu-chwang was to be evacuated at an early date would certainly have a reassuring effect. So far as I was aware, there was no local difficulty in the way.”—China, No. 2 (1904), Nos. 162, 163.
[653]. The text is found in the Monthly Summary of the Commerce and Finance of the U. S. for January, 1904.
[654]. In the press and the Kwampō of January 20.