Statuts du Comité Spécial de l'Extrême-Orient.

(Approuvés par Sa Majesté l'Empereur le 30 Septembre, 1903.)

1. Sa Majesté l'Empereur préside le Comité Spécial de l'ExtrêmeOrient. || 2. Sont membres du Comité Spécial: les Ministres de l'Intérieur, des Finances, des Affaires Étrangères, et de la Guerre, le Gérant du Ministère de la Marine, et les personnes que Sa Majesté l'Empereur trouvera utile de convoquer, soit pour siéger en permanence au sein du Comité, soit pour prendre part temporairement à ses séances. Le Lieutenant en Extrême-Orient étant, d'après ses fonctions, membre du Comité, prend part aux séances quand il se trouve à Saint-Pétersbourg. || 3. La gestion des affaires du Comité est confiée, sur indication de Sa Majesté l'Empereur, à l'un des membres du Comité. Le Gérant des affaires du Comité siège aussi dans les autres institutions supérieures de l'État quand elles s'occupent d'affaires ayant trait à l'administration de l'ExtrêmeOrient. || 4. Quand Sa Majesté l'Empereur ne préside pas en personne le Comité, les fonctions de Président sont exercées par un des membres du Comité, désigné à cet effet par Sa Majesté l'Empereur. || 5. Le Gérant des affaires du Comité est en même temps le Directeur de la Chancellerie du Comité, qui se compose d'un Adjoint du Gérant et d'autres fonctionnaires désignés dans les cadres de la Chancellerie. || 6. En cas de besoin, et dans le but d'étudier au préalable les affaires à soumettre aux décisions du Comité, il est créé des Commissions Préparatoires se composant de représentants des diverses Administrations nommés d'accord avec les Ministres compétents. La présidence de ces Commissions est confiée à l'un des membres du Comité ou au Gérant des affaires du Comité. || 7. Le Comité est saisi (a) Des affaires ayant trait à l'organisation de l'Administration de l'Extrême-Orient et aux bilans des recettes et des dépenses de cette Administration; || (b.) Des affaires ayant trait au développement industriel et commercial du territoire; || (c.) Des projets du Lieutenant en Extrême-Orient concernant l'application dans les territoires qui lui sont confiés de nouvelles mesures ou de changements introduits dans les mesures déjà appliquées; || (d.) Des affaires qui, pour être résolues, exigent qu'il y ait entente entre le Lieutenant en Extrême-Orient et les Ministres et Directeurs-Généraux; et, || (e.) Des affaires dont le réglement dépasse les pouvoirs du Lieutenant. || 8. Pour les affaires les plus importantes ayant un caractère législatif il sera institué au sein du Comité, sur l'indication de Sa Majesté l'Empereur, des séances mixtes auxquelles prendront part des membres du Département de Législation du Conseil de l'Empire. 9. Les bilans des recettes et les dépenses sont examinés en

séance mixte par le Comité et par le Département d'Économie du Conseil de l'Empire, et ils sont introduits dans le Budget de l'Empire après avoir été approuvés par Sa Majesté l'Empereur. || 10. Les projets des Administrations qui visent les affaires du ressort du Comité du Chemin de Fer de Sibérie, et qui ont trait à des entreprises auxiliaires pour la construction de ce chemin de fer, et principalement aux questions relatives à l'émigration en Sibérie, ainsi qu'aux mesures projetées par rapport à ces questions par le Lieutenant en Extrême-Orient, sont étudiés en séance mixte par les Comités du Chemin de Fer de Sibérie et de l'ExtrêmeOrient. || 11. Les affaires sont soumises au Comité de l'Extrême-Orient (1.) Par ordre spécial de Sa Majesté l'Empereur; et, || (2.) En vertu de Rapports des Ministres et du Lieutenant en Extrême-Orient, signés par eux. Tous les Rapports destinés au Comité sont transmis au Gérant des affaires du Comité. Les affaires provenant du Lieutenant ou des Ministres et Directeurs-Généraux sont, d'après leur nature, soit soumises à Sa Majesté l'Empereur par le Gérant des affaires du Comité, soit renvoyées directément à l'examen du Comité, après avoir obtenu au préalable l'avis des Ministres ou Directeurs-Généraux compétents. || 12. Le Comité de l'Extrême-Orient n'a par lui-même aucun pouvoir exécutif. La mise à exécution des décisions prises par le Comité appartient au Lieutenant en Extrême-Orient ou à ceux des Ministres qui sont les auteurs des projets soumis à la décision du Comité ou dans le ressort desquels ces projets, de par leur nature, doivent être exécutés.

Nr. 13125. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Gesandte in Peking an den Minister des Ausw. Näheres über die russischchinesischen Verhandlungen. Rußland verschiebt die Räumung.

Peking, September 10, 1903. (October 26.) (Extract.) || The following appear to be the conditions proposed by the Russian Minister on the 6th instant, for the evacuation of Manchuria. I have not been able to procure the document itself:

1. That China shall undertake not to alienate any part of Manchuria to another Power, nor to grant land for the purpose of foreign settlements. || 2. Russia to be allowed to establish landing stages on the Sungari River, to connect them by telegraph, and to station Russian troops for their protection. || 3. Russia to be allowed to establish posting stations along the road from Tsitsi-har to Blagovestchensk. || 4. No greater duties to be imposed on goods brought into Manchuria by rail than those now

imposed on goods transported by road or river. || 5. After the withdrawal of the Russian troops, the branches of the Russo-Chinese Bank to be protected by Chinese troops, but at the cost of the Bank. || 6. A Russian doctor to be appointed member of the Sanitary Board at Newchwang.

On these conditions Russia will withdraw from Newchwang and other places within the province of Moukden (Shengking) on the 8th October, from the province of Kirin at the expiration of four months, and from Heilung-chiang at the end of one year. || With regard to the prohibition of foreign Settlements" or "Concessions" at the new ports to be opened in Manchuria, Prince Ch'ing explained that by the Treaty with the United States opening Manchurian ports, foreigners would have the right of purchasing land and erecting buildings within the port limits. || The establishment of landing stations on the Sungari River had formed the subject of discussion more than ten years ago, and China would now concede this, while objecting to Russian troops being stationed there, as China would be quite able and willing to protect the wharves. Similarly she objected to Russia establishing posting stations on the road from Tsitsi-har to Blagovestchensk. Before the troubles Chinese posting stations had existed, and they could be re-established by China. || The proposal that Chinese troops should protect the branches of the Russo-Chinese Bank, I said, appeared innocuous, but I should wish to know what was implied by the appointment of a Russian doctor to the Sanitary Board at Newchwang. Prince Ch'ing replied that the presence of a Russian doctor would not prevent the appointment by China of doctors of other nationalities in addition. He denied that Russia demanded a majority of Russian members on the Sanitary Board. || I remarked that I did not understand why Russia was now insisting on fresh conditions for the execution of the Convention which she had entered into eigtheen months ago, and particularly her solicitude about the formation of foreign settlements at the new ports, which was apparently as great as if she herself owned Manchuria. The Prince replied that Russia's present excuse for delaying the evacuation beyond the periods named in the original Convention was that the barracks for the railway guards were not ready." If that were so, it appeared to him that the length of time now proposed, namely, four months in the case of Kirin, and twelve months for Heilungchiang, was in excess of what was necessary, and he had made a counterproposal for their diminution to two and four months respectively. He mentioned that the Russian authorities talked of leaving 6000 or 7000 troops in Kirin and Heilung-chiang for the term specified, and that he was objecting to this number as too large. He anticipated that it would

take a considerable time to come to an agreement. When once the three provinces had reverted to China, she intended to reorganize the Administration, and to put the three provinces on the same footing as the other provinces of the Empire. The military forces stationed there would be rendered efficient. I observed that the Chinese Government would, of course, bear in mind in coming to terms with Russia that it was desirable to avoid any agreement in contravention of the rights of other Treaty Powers, which must, of course, bring upon her very serious remonstrances from their side.

Nr. 13126. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Derselbe an Denselben. RuBland beschlagnahmt die mandschurischen Telegraphen.

Peking, October 29, 1903. (October 29.) (Telegraphic.) || I hear that the Russians have resumed control over Chinese telegraph offices at Mukden and another place which they had some months ago restored to China, and that parties of Russian soldiers have been sent across the Liao River in order to stop telegraphic communication from all stations between Mukden and Kinchou (long. 121, lat. 41).

Nr. 13127. GROSSBRITANNIEN. - Der Botschafter in Petersburg an den Minister des Ausw. Rußland hat Mukden wieder besetzt.

St. Petersburgh, November 12, 1903.. (November 16.) My Lord, || On the 20th ultimo the Journal de Saint-Pétersbourg" published a telegram from Mukden, dated the 28th, stating that, in consequence of the apathy of the Chinese authorities, of the non-execution of the promises made on their part, and of the agitation which prevails in the district, a detachment of Russian troops entered Mukden to-day, and has taken up its quarters there". | A later telegram, dated Port Arthur, 10th November, states that the rumours published on this subject by the foreign press are not founded on fact. In order to restore order, two companies in all were sent to Mukden, and no further measures have been taken.

Cecil Spring-Rice.

Nr. 13128. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Gesandte in Peking an den Minister des Ausw. Rußland fordert einen russischen Generalinspektor der mandschurischen Zölle. Protest des englischen Gesandten bei China.

Peking, September 28, 1903. (November 23.)

My Lord. I have the honour to inclose copy of a semi-official note which I addressed on the 21st September to Prince Ch'ing, protesting against a demand I understand to have been presented to the Chinese Government by the Russian Minister, which was inconsistent with pledges already given by China to Great Britain. It was reported to amount in effect to a demand for the establishment of a separate InspectorateGeneral of Customs for Manchuria, to be presided over by a Russian official, and manned entirely by Russian subjects, which is manifestly inconsistent with the promise given by China in 1898, that the successor of Sir Robert Hart at the head of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs should be an Englishman as long as British trade exceeded in amount that of any other country. || On the following day I learnt from a source deserving of confidence that M. Lessar had proposed that as Russia and China were now on such friendly terms, the latter should agree to appoint a Russian Inspector-General for Manchuria, and appoint Russians to be Commissioners at Mukden and Antunghsien. As your Lordship is aware, the Commissioner sent by Sir Robert Hart to act at Newchwang, an appointment much commented on at the time, is a junior member of the Imperial Maritime Customs Service, of Russian nationality, while the proposed agreement for the establishment of a Chinese custom-house at Dalny will provide for the appointment as Commissioner of a certain M. Protasiew, a Russian official. || On the 24th, I received a reply from Prince Ch'ing stating that the Chinese Government had not accepted any of Russia's demands. || Viewed in the light of what his Highness told me on the following day, as reported in my telegram of the 25th instant, the words „has not accepted any of" may be read as meaning „has rejected all of". I have since learnt from an authoritative source that the Russian Minister wrote privatelly to the person already mentioned objecting to the provision contained in Article VIII, section 10, of Sir James Mackay's Treaty, whereby a member or members of the Imperial Maritime Customs Foreign Staff are to be selected by each of the Governors-General and Governors, and appointed, in consultation with the Inspector-General of Imperial Maritime Customs, to each province for