Mr. Conger to Mr. Hay.
Peking, China, March 4, 1904.
Sir: I have the honor to confirm my telegram of to-day.
The Russian minister here says the whole of Manchuria must be excepted from the neutrality zone, as even that portion south and west of the Liao River, already turned back to China, may of necessity become a field of hostile operations; hence the Russian objections to sending Chinese troops into this zone. Prince Ch’ing informs me that the Chinese will heed these objections and will keep thir troops this side of the Manchurian border.
The 18,000 troops mentioned in the telegram have been sent from Paotingfu and Tungchow, in this province, and are China’s best foreign-drilled troops. They are being replaced by smaller numbers of less effective troops from Shantung; others stationed at various places along the Yangtze have been ordered to be ready to come north if necessary.
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The case of the Russian war ship Mandjur, found in the Shanghai Harbor, is in a fair way to be settled by negotiations between the Russian and Japanese ministers, and she will probably be disarmed and left there during the war.
I have, etc.,