[Inclosure 1.]
Mr. Newel to
Baron de Lynden.
American Legation,
The
Hague, February 11,
1904.
Sir: Referring to my conversation with your
excellency this morning with reference to the desirability and
possibility of the neutral powers concurrently using good offices
with Russia and Japan to induce them to respect the neutrality of
China and in all practical ways to localize and limit, as much as
possible, the area of hostilities, I have the honor to formally
repeat that I was instructed by my Government to confer with you on
that subject and to suggest that, if the idea is acceptable to the
Netherlands Government, instructions may be sent to its
representatives in St. Petersburg, Tokyo, and Peking to cooperate
with the representatives of other neutral powers, so that undue
excitement and disturbances of the Chinese people may possibly be
prevented and the least possible loss to the commerce and the
peaceful intercourse of the world may be assured.
Accept, etc.,
[Inclosure
2.—Translation.]
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Political
Bureau,
The
Hague, February 18,
1904.
Mr. Minister: On the 11th instant your
excellency asked me if the Royal Government would be disposed,
concurrently with the other powers neutral to the conflict in which
Japan and Russia are engaged, to use its good offices with the
belligerent powers and the Government of China with a view to
assuring the neutrality of China and of limiting as far as possible
the area of hostilities. This step, in the opinion of the United
States, would serve to prevent excitement and disturbances in the
Chinese Empire and to limit as far as possible the loss which the
war may occasion to the commerce and peaceful intercourse of the
world.
In your note of the same date your excellency confirms the verbal
explanations kindly given me in regard to the views of your
Government.
In reply I have the honor to advise your excellency that Her
Majesty’s Government understands the first part of the proposition
as having regard exclusively to the Chinese Empire, in its
restricted sense, and not affecting in any way Manchuria.
Looking at it from this point of view, the Royal Government can not
but applaud, from a humanitarian point, that which the United States
expects to attain, and having reason to believe that this sentiment
will be shared by all the governments interested, it is prepared to
concur in the collective steps above indicated.
To this end it will be necessary that the representatives of the
neutral powers shall receive identical instructions and that these
powers agree as to the formula to be adopted.
It will therefore be of especial importance to me to be informed in
due course of the text that your Government desires to suggest or in
regard to which there perhaps exists already a preliminary agreement
between it and certain other powers,
[Page 523]
Concerning the step to be taken in respect to the Chinese Government,
it might be desirable to obtain the cooperation of the two
belligerent powers, and I should be greatly obliged if your
excellency would kindly let me know the views of your Government on
this point.
In conclusion I deem it my duty to state that the Government of the
Queen, in associating itself with the above-mentioned steps, does
not undertake any obligation to cooperate in any measures whatever
that the neutral powers might deem necessary in consequence of such
steps.
Accept, etc.,
(Note.—See also circular of February
20, 1904, printed on p. 2.)
