861.77/2397
The Minister in China (Schurman) to the Secretary of State
Peking, December 27,
1921.
[Received January 27, 1922.]
No. 281
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my telegram
No. 458, of December 22, 1921, 4 p.m.,48 relative to a protest addressed to me by Mr. Paikes
on the Chinese Eastern Railway, and to forward herewith the text of his
letter with enclosure.
I have [etc.]
[Page 876]
[Enclosure—Translation]
The Soviet Delegate in China (Paikes) to the American Minister in China (Schurman)
December 21,
1921.
No. 173
Mr. Minister: I have the honor, in
accordance with instructions received from my Government, to
transmit to Your Excellency the note attached concerning the
question of the Chinese Eastern Railway, by which the solution of
this question is placed under the exclusive jurisdiction of China
and Russia.
[Subenclosure—Translation]
The Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs
(Chicherin) to the Secretary of State
Mr. Minister: Referring to its protest
expressed in circular notes of July 1949 and December [November] 250 against
the convocation without the participation of Russia of a conference
having to deal with questions directly concerning the Russian
people, the Russian Government feels obliged to issue another
special protest against any discussion by the conference at
Washington of the Chinese Eastern Railway, which question concerns
Russia and China alone. The Russian Government has declared itself
ready to return the railroad in question to the control of the
Chinese authorities upon the acceptance by China of certain
indispensable guarantees. This transference, however, has not yet
taken place and Russian rights on the railway remain intact. As soon
as a satisfactory settlement of this question shall have been
reached between the Russian delegation charged with this task and
the Chinese Government the transference of the rights of Russia
which shall be agreed upon by this understanding will be put in
force, but before such a time Russian rights will remain intact as
formerly.
The Russian Government feels obliged therefore to protest against any
decision which may be reached by the Conference at Washington to the
detriment of Russian rights. It declares that it cannot recognise
any infraction of the rights of the Russian workingmen which may be
adopted without the knowledge of the government which represents his
will, which government reserves full liberty of action to maintain
these rights by whatever method or means it may judge opportune and
propitious.
Please accept [etc.]
