Nr. 13031. GROSSBRITANNIEN. - Der Minister des Ausw. an die Botschaft in Berlin. Verteidigt die kanadische Gesetzgebung. Vorschlag über die Form der Verhandlungen.

Foreign Office, July 8, 1903.

Sir, The German Ambassador left with me on the 1st instant a copy of the note addressed to him on the 27th ultimo by Baron von Richthofen respecting the commercial relations between Canada and Germany. His Majesty's Government fully appreciate the friendly tone in which the note is couched, as well as the desire expressed in it to arrive at a practical solution of the question at issue between the two countries. That desire is shared by His Majesty's Government, and it is only with the object of removing misaprehensions that they offer the following comments upon Baron von Richthofen's statements: || They observe that the exclusion of Canada from most-favoured-nation treatment in Germany is represented as the natural and inevitable consequence of the denunciation of the Commercial Treaty of 1865, and complaint is apparently made of His Majesty's Government for having suggested that this exclusion was to be regarded as a punitive measure, or as an undue attempt by Germany to interfere in the relations of the mother country with her Colonies. His Majesty's Government desire that it should be clearly understood that they have no intention to call in question the motives of the German Government. His Majesty's Government are, indeed, in no wise concerned with those motives, but only with the action of Germany and its consequences to the different parts of the British Empire. || That action has incontestably had the effect of bringing about the loss by Canada of the relatively advantageous position which she occupied prior to 1897, a loss which she has sustained not because she had imposed upon German imports customs duties exceeding those to which they were previously subject, nor because she had treated Germany differently from other foreign countries with which she had commercial relations, but because Canada had refused to extend to Germany a special concession made by her to the mother country, in pursuance of a policy deliberately adopted for the purpose of promoting the national trade of the British Empire. It is not disputed that Germany has the right to regard this question from her own point of view, and to deal with it in whatever manner may best suit her interests. There remains, however, the fact that in the result a British Colony has been made to suffer not for discriminating against Germany in favour of other foreign countries, but for according preferential treatment to the imports of the mother

country. It was in reply to this action on the part of Germany that, in April 1903, the Canadian Government imposed upon German imports the additional taxation to which reference is made in the German note. || With reference to the statement made by Baron von Richthofen that German imports were denied in Canada the privileges granted by the latter to certain French products under the Commercial Agreement between Canada and France of the 6th February, 1893, His Majesty's Government desire to point out that Canada at first extended those advantages to German goods, and only withdrew them after Germany had refused to continue to her the treatment of the most favoured nation. The importance of the question, already one of the utmost moment to Great Britain and her Colonies, was greatly increased by the intimation contained in Baron von Richthofen's note of the 15th April last, inclosed in Sir F. Lascelles despatch of the 18th April. || Baron von Richthofen apparently desires to treat this intimation, which he describes as having been confidentially made to Sir F. Lascelles, as an obiter dictum of no great importance. It was, however, impossible for His Majesty's Government so to regard it. || The announcement made in Baron von Richthofen's note, which was not marked Confidential, and was of the most authoritative character, seemed to them at the time and still seems to them capable of no other interpretation than this: that if other British self-governing Colonies should follow the example of Canada and accord national treatment to British imports, the German Government might find themselves compelled to refuse not only to those Colonies but to Great Britain herself the treatment which, in view of the liberal terms upon which German imports are admitted to this country, we are entitled to expect upon the most ordinary grounds of reciprocity. || Whether such a refusal were to be the result of a policy recommended to the Reichstag by the German Government, or were to be imposed upon the German Government by the Reichstag, would, so far as British interests are concerned, be immaterial. Baron von Richthofen's intimation was regarded by His Majesty's Government as not lightly given and not to be lightly received. || Such retaliation on the part of the German Government would, in our opinion, not be justifiable in itself, and would be inconsistent with the attitude which, as we understand Baron von Richthofen's argument, the German Government desire to assume towards the British selfgoverning Colonies. If it be true, as stated in the note, that those Colonies are regarded by the German Government as ,,independent customs districts" which foreign Powers are at liberty to treat as such, it would follow that no responsibility would attach to the mother country for

their external Tariff arrangements, and that it would be wholly inequitable and illogical to retaliate upon the mother country in consequence of the manner in which the Colonies had made use of their opportunities. This argument, however, although it appears to His Majesty's Government a legitimate rejoinder to that of Baron von Richthofen, is not one on which they desire to lay stress, for, so far as the present controversy is concerned, they have no intention of drawing a distinction between their own interests and those of the self-governing Colonies. || I have thought it desirable to make these observations in reply to those contained in Baron von Richthofen's note. It seems to me, however, that if the question is to be further discussed, it would be to the advantage of both sides that it should, as suggested by Baron von Richthofen, take the form of an exchange of ideas in regard to the means of obviating the present difference, and His Majesty's Government would certainly be ready to approach such a discussion in the most considerate spirit. || You are authorized to make a communication in the sense of this despatch to the German Government, and to leave a copy with Baron von Richthofen.

Lansdowne.

Verhandlungen über die Besetzung der Mandschurei und Niutschwangs durch

Rufsland.

1901-1904.*)

Nr. 13032. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Minister des Ausw. an den Botschafter in Petersburg und den Gesandten in Peking. Ist die Nachricht der „Times" über eine russisch-chinesische Teilung der Mandschurei zutreffend?

Foreign Office, January 3, 1901. (Telegraphic.) || Report what you can ascertain in regard to an alleged Agreement between Russia and China dealing with Southern Manchuria, the substance of which was given by the Peking correspondent of the,,Times", in a telegram dated the 31st December, which appeared in its issue of the 3rd January. It involves the resumption of civil government by the Chinese under what is virtually a Russian Protectorate.

Anlage.

Extract from the Times," January 3, 1901.

Peking, December 31, 1900.

An Agreement has been concluded between Russia and China regarding the Russian military occupation of Feng-tien, the southern and most important province of Manchuria, and the resumption of Chinese civil administration under Russian protection. The Agreement was signed by a representative of Tseng, the Tartar-General at Mukden, and General Korostovitch, representing Admiral Alexeieff, the Russian Commander-inchief. Russia consents to allow the Tartar General and the Chinese officials to resume the civil government of Mukden and Feng-tien province, on the following conditions: 1. The Tartar-General Tseng under

*) Engl. Blaubuch Cd. 1936. (China 2. 1904.) Vgl. Bd. 65. 66.

takes to protect the province and pacify it, and to assist in the construction of the railroad. || 2. He must treat kindly the Russians in military occupation, protecting the railway and pacifying the province, and provide them which lodging and provisions. || 3. He must disarm and disband the Chinese soldiery, delivering in their entirety to the Russian military officials all munitions of war in the arsenals not already occupied by the Russians. || 4. All forts and defences in Feng-tien not occupied by the Russians, and all powder magazines not required by the Russians, must be dismantled in the presence of Russian officials. || 5. Newchwang and other places now occupied by the Russians shall be restored to the Chinese civil adminstration when the Russian Government is satisfied that the pacification of the province is complete. | 6. The Chinese shall maintain law and order by local police under the Tartar General. || 7. A Russian Political Resident, with general powers of control, shall be stationed at Mukden, to whom the Tartar General must give all information respecting any important measure. || 8. Should the local police be insufficient in any emergency, the Tartar General will communicate with the Russian Resident at Mukden and invite Russia to dispatch reinforcements. || 9. The Russian text shall be the standard. || The functions given to the Russian Resident are similar to those of the Russian Resident at Bokhara, or of the British Residents in the native States in India. || The Agreement will necessarily be followed by similar Agreements with reference to the other two provinces, and then Manchuria will be a de facto Russian Protectorate, Russia by a pre-existing Agreement having already the right to maintain all necessary troops for the protection of the railway.

Nr. 13033. GROSSBRITANNIEN.

Der Botschafter in Petersburg an den Minister des Ausw. Das Abkommen scheint nur lokale Eisenbahnfragen zu enthalten. St. Petersburgh, January 5, 1901. (January 5.)*) (Telegraphic.) | With reference to your telegram of the 3rd instant, it is impossible to ascertain facts with accurancy as yet, but it seems to be generally believed here that some provisional Agreement, such as that indicated, has been concluded by Russia with the local authorities in Manchuria, and that she may eventually acquire by Treaty the right to finish building the railway line through Manchuria to Port Arthur, and

*) Die eingeklammerten Daten geben das Datum des Empfangs an. Red.