Mr. Allen to Mr. Day.
Seoul, Korea , August 26, 1898 .
Sir: Replying to your No. 84, July 14, in which you ask to be informed what portion, if any, of the allotment of 900,000 square meters for a general foreign settlement on Deer Island at Fusan has been reserved for Americans, I have the honor to inform you that the setting aside of ground for separate settlements for treaty powers at Korean ports is not the custom here now. In the case of the settlement at Chemulpo, both China and Japan did receive special tracts for their citizens, prior to its foundation, but such a course has been discouraged since that time. Both Japanese and Chinese, moreover, are eligible to, and have, become owners of land in the general foreign settlement at Chemulpo, their own tracts having become too small for their use.
By reference to the regulations for the foreign settlements at Chinnampo and Mokpo, copies of which I forwarded to you in my No. 35, diplomatic, November 13, 1897, and in my No. 3, consular, it will be seen that by article 10, “The Government of any treaty power may acquire a suitable lot or lots for a consulate on paying the upset price only; but such lot or lots shall be subject to the same regulations as regards payment of rent, taxes, and the like, as are other lots of the same class.” The advantage in this is that the ground may be selected and acquired without being put up at auction, as is the case with other lots. It was by virtue of this clause that the former Russian representative, Mr. de Speyer, bought up about one-half of the available land at each of these new ports. His Government did not sustain him in this, however, and the Russian holding within the treaty limits of Mokpo and Chinnampo has been reduced to about 10,000 square meters, which is considered to be entirely reasonable. I did not suggest to the Department the purchase of consular sites at either of these two places, as we voluntarily surrendered the fine site reserved for us at Chemulpo, where we need a consul much more than at any of the new ports.
Article II of the above named regulations stipulates that: “None but the Governments, subjects, or citizens of the States whose representatives have signified their acceptance of these regulations shall be allowed to purchase or hold land in the foreign settlement, or be granted title deeds for lots within the said limits.” By this provision Americans can acquire land freely at any of the new ports.
The settlement on Deer Island at Fusan has not yet been surveyed and laid out, but when this is done, these same regulations will probably be accepted for it.
The regulations allow of the purchase of land within 3⅓ miles of the limits of the settlement, and in accordance with this provision, some Americans have purchased land so situated at Fusan, while the Russian Government has made extensive purchases of such outside land at Mokpo and Chinnampo. They were not allowed, however, to acquire an island in the harbor of Mokpo under this provision.
I have, etc.,