Mr. Denby to Mr.
Sherman.
Legation of the United States,
Peking, China, June 1,
1898.
No. 2937.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose a copy of a
communication received from the Russian chargé at Pekin relating to the
viséing of passports
[Page 186]
of
foreigners going into the recently ceded Russian territory. I also
inclose a translation thereof. It was reported here that Russia would
recede from the demand that such passports should be viséed, but this
communication simply reiterates the necessity of having passports
viséed, and seems to require that such passports shall be viséed by
Russian consuls in China.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure in No. 2937.]
Monsieur le Ministre et Cher Collégue:
In order to complete my note of the 7/19 instant, I have the honor to
inform your excellency that according to the last instructions,
which have been given to me by the imperial ministry, the visé in
the Russian consulates of national passports delivered to strangers
who are going to Port Arthur and to Talien-wan or to any other point
in the territory which has been ceded in usufruct to the Russian
Government by the Chinese Government will be entirely effective, but
it is understood that the imperial consulates of Russia in China
will have to visé, according to the instructions received, the
national passports of strangers going upon the above-mentioned
territory, who will present them to that end.
Accept, Monsieur le Ministre, the assurances of my highest
consideration.
