File No. 5767/102–103.
Chargé Fletcher to
the Secretary of State.
American Legation,
Peking, September 10,
1909.
No. 1246.]Sir: Referring to my No. 1240, of the 6th
instant, I have the honor to inclose copies of the “agreement” between
the viceroy of Manchuria and the governor of Fengtien and the Japanese
consul general with refesence to the working of mines “near” the
Mukden-Antung Railway, mentioned in the agreement recently concluded
between China and Japan. The department will note that the mining rights
refer to particular minerals and that gold and silver mines are not
included.
I have, etc.,
[Page 117]
[Inclosure.]
memorandum concerning mines along the line of
the antung-mukden railway.1
- (1)
- The Japanese consul general hereby declares that when the
present military railway between Antung and Mukden is changed to
standard gauge the present route may be slightly changed but
will not follow an entirely different route.
- (2)
- The Japanese who are temporarily residing along the line of
the railway will be prohibited by the Japanese consul general
from surveying mining properties. Hereafter such work will be
carried on under the provisions of article 3.
- (3)
- All coal, iron, tin, and lead mines situated near the railway
may be worked conjointly after officials of both countries have
made an inspection. The operators concerned should specify
exactly the localities to be worked and petition the viceroy of
Manchuria and the governor of Fengtien, who, after giving their
consent, will ask for an edict permitting the work to be carried
on. The conditions of working the mines will be similar to those
contained in the agreement of Lin-ch’eng Hsien.
- (4)
- In the future operators of other nationalities are permitted
to work coal mines, and are given better terms than those of the
agreement of Lin-ch’eng Hsien in Ohihli Province; thereafter the
coal mines along the line of this railway which are permitted to
be worked jointly shall, on petition, be granted the same
privileges. The iron, tin, and lead mines which are worked
jointly shall pay taxes and dues according to such regulations
as may hereafter be issued by the board of agriculture,
industries, and commerce.
- (5)
- If hereafter operators of other nationalities are permitted to
work iron, tin, or lead mines in the Province of Fengtien, and
if after paying the taxes and dues fixed by the board they enjoy
any special privileges, thereafter such companies of Chinese and
Japanese as may be permitted to work these three sorts of mines
along the line of the railway shall, on petition, be accorded
the same privileges.
