Mr. Conger to Mr.
Hay.
Legation of the United States,
Peking, February 4,
1902.
No. 905.]Sir: I have the honor to confirm herewith our
telegram of the 1st instant, and to say that I at once transmitted a
copy to the foreign office with the note, copy of which I inclose. I
felt that I had already said so much to Prince Ch’ing on the subject
that it was unnecessary to go to him in person again.
I presumed from the substance of the telegram that you had already
communicated it to the Russian Government. However, I immediately called
upon my Russian colleague and gave him a copy. We discussed the matter
only in a general way, but he took occasion to say that they were asking
no greater privileges in Manchuria than the Germans already possessed in
Shantung. I replied that we did not recognize that Germany had such
rights there, and even if by secret or other convention with Germany the
treaty rights with other powers had been contravened that would not
justify further violation of them, but should rather unite all the other
powers in legitimate efforts for the restoration and preservation of all
treaty rights thus infringed or annulled.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Conger to
the Foreign office.
United States Legation,
Peking, February 4,
1902.
F. O., No. 341.]Yolk Highness and Your Excellencies: I have
the honor to remind Your Highness and your excellencies that at my
last interview with you I called your attention to the deep interest
of my Government in the pending negotiations between China and
Russia with regard to the evacuation by the latter of the Manchurian
provinces and in the efforts being made by the Russian Government,
as reported to me and
[Page 277]
confirmed by Your Highness and your excellencies, to secure in the
said Manchurian provinces by means of a separate arrangement between
China and the Russo-Chinese Bank certain exclusive mining and
railway concessions for Russian subjects. I informed Your Highness
and your excellencies on the above-mentioned occasion, as I had
already done also at several previous interviews, that the United
States could not but view such concessions with concern as violating
the favored-nation clauses of existing treaties between China and
the several powers, as tending to impair the sovereignty of China in
the region mentioned, as threatening the territorial integrity of
the Chinese Empire by inviting demands from other powers for like
concessions in other provinces, and as tending to impair China’s
ability to meet her international obligations.
Since my last interview with Your Highness and your excellencies I
have received the following telegrama
from the Department of State, which sets forth very fully the views
of my Government.
It becomes my duty to forward the above telegram at once to your
highness and your excellencies, and I trust that its contents may
receive your very careful attention and that such measures may be
adopted as will relieve the just and natural anxiety of the United
States Government.
I avail myself, etc.,
