File No. 6625/18.
Ambassador Wright to the Secretary of State.
Tokyo, June 27, 1907.
Sir: Referring to my dispatch No. 238, of April 25 last,a I have the honor to inclosea herewith various newspaper clippings in regard to Manchuria.
Of the many questions there awaiting solution, two of great difficulty have now been solved—the fishery question and the question of the Kwanchengtsz Railway station, the junction of the Russian and Japanese railways through Manchuria. The official text of these agreements has not yet been published, but the gist of the railway station agreement will be found in the inclosed clipping from the Japan Daily Mail of the 21st instant. By the fishery agreementb it is understood that the Japanese Government has acquired the right to fish on the Siberian coast and in all bays and inlets there with the exception of some 34, which have been clearly determined. At the express wish of the Japanese Government the Russian Government has consented to sign this agreement before the other agreements still under discussion, so as not to interfere with the opening of the fishing season. The fishing grounds have now been put up to auction. The results of this are given in the inclosed clippings from the Japan Daily Mail of the 25th instant. In explanation of the great preponderance of Japanese amongst the lessees it may be remarked that the Russian fishing population is a very small one, and that the Japanese fishermen have always been far more numerous in these seas.
The recent interview granted by Baron Goto, president of the South Manchurian Railway Company, to a representative of the China Times, and reproduced in the inclosed clipping from the Japan Times of the 21st instant, is of great interest, though the statements in it are similar to those made by him on former occasions. Baron Goto’s promises that “the railway rates and railway administration will be so conducted as to preserve equality for all nationalities in Manchuria,” and his statement that “it has been decided to adjust the rates as between, say, Yingkow and Mukden and Tairen and Mukden to equality on a fair basis proportionate to the mileage, so that Yingkow will not be prejudiced,” are worthy of note.
Another question which the Japanese Government is reported to be now taking measures to have decided promptly is that of the customs dues on the Russo-Manchurian frontier in view of the opening on July 1 of the customs at Dalny. The difficulty seems to be the insistence by Russia of a reduction of the tariff by one-third and for the creation of a free zone of 17 miles on either side of the railway.
For the solution of these and of the many other pending questions in Manchuria much hope is apparently being placed in the new viceroy, Hsu. Upon his reception at Mukden lately by Mr. Hayashi, Japanese minister at Peking, the latter publicly announced that the [Page 780] viceroy had been informed by the Emperor and Dowager Empress of China that they desired to see the development of Manchuria accomplished by the united efforts of China and Japan, and that the viceroy had received instructions to work in cooperation with the Japanese to that end. The new viceroy is reported to have replied that it was his Government’s desire to afford protection to all enterprises, whether native or foreign, which were likely to conduce to the benefit of Manchuria. Tang-Shaoi, the new governor of Mukden, and Tao, the new chief of the bureau of foreign affairs of the Manchurian viceroyalty, are also said to be favorable to Japan. Both they and the viceroy are Chinese and belong to Yuan-shi-kai’s party. Under these circumstances it may be expected that the Japanese will have less difficulties placed in their way in the future than they have lately been having.
I have, etc.,