Mr. Tower to Mr. Hay.
St. Petersburg, January 13, 1902.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 269 of the 31st of December, 1901, in which you inclose to me copies of the correspondence with the Russian ambassador at Washington in regard to a recent conflict between certain American sailors and the Russian police at Niuchwang, in which connection the acts of the United States consul at that port became the subject of official consideration at the Department of State; also copies of Count Cassini’s note of the 28th of December and of your reply to him dated the 30th of December, and of Mr. Peirce’s dispatch of the 31st of December to the consul at Niuchwang.
As I had heard of this matter through the telegraphic reports to the European newspapers, I referred to it informally at an interview which I recently had with Count Lamsdorff, imperial minister for foreign affairs, and asked him whether he had any information as to the reported difficulty, or whether I could be of service in any communication that he might desire to make to the Government of the United States.
Monsieur de Lamsdorff replied that he had received from Niuchwang a full report of the encounter which had taken place; that the trouble arose between some sailors on shore and the Russian police, who are responsible for public order in the city, and that it might have been composed immediately if the American consul to whose attention the question was brought had been willing to lend his aid toward the reestablishment of public order, but that, upon his refusal so to act, communication had been had with Mr. Conger, at Pekin, who responded immediately and took such steps as were necessary under the circumstances.
[Page 919]M. de Lamsdorff said further that the Imperial Government considers this incident to be one of purely local importance which affects in no wise the cordial international relations between the United States and Russia.
I have, etc.,