Mr. Denby to Mr.
Olney.
Legation of the United States,
Peking, November 26,
1896. (Received Jan. 4, 1897.)
No. 2649.]
Sir: In my dispatch No. 2616 of October 20 last
I informed you that Japan had renounced its claim, based on the sixth
article of the Shimonoseki treaty, that China could not tax articles
manufactured by Japanese in China. I have now the honor to inclose a
translation of a protocol agreed upon between Japan and China, on the
19th day of October last, which, among other things, provides “that the
Chinese Government may impose such tax as it may see fit on the articles
manufactured by Japanese subjects in China, provided that such tax shall
neither be other than that payable by the Chinese subjects nor
higher.”
In consideration for this concession Japan is granted the right to have
settlements for the use of Japanese exclusively at each open port of
China, and other privileges.
I have, etc.,
[Page 98]
[Inclosure in No. 2649.—Clipping from
North. China Daily News of November 17, 1896.]
china and japan.
The following Japanese telegram, dated Tokio, the 10th instant, is
translated by the Kobe Chronicle:
“The following protocol, agreed upon between Japan and China in
regard to Japanese settlements at the open ports of China and other
matters, is published in the Official Gazette to-day:
“‘Baron Hayashi Tadasu, envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, and the
minister of foreign affairs of His Majesty the Emperor of China have
agreed upon the following stipulations supplementary to the treaty
of commerce and navigation:
- “‘Article I. It is agreed by the
contracting parties that settlements exclusively for the use
of the Japanese shall be provided at each open port of
China, the Japanese consul having full control over the
roads and police affairs in such settlements.
- “‘Article II. It is agreed that
all matters relating to steamers and other boats of foreign
merchants, and the persons engaged in the said boats,
referred to in the regulations for trade of foreign
merchants in the three provinces of Hu, Kiang, and Su,
issued by the Shanghai customs on the 3rd day of the 8th
month of the 22nd year of Kuang Hsu, shall be determined
upon consultation with the Japanese authorities, and that
the Yangtse trade regulations shall be applied as far as
practicable until such provisions shall have been
adopted.
- “‘Article III. The Japanese
Government agrees that the Chinese Government may impose
such tax as it may see fit on the articles manufactured by
Japanese subjects in China, provided such tax shall neither
be other than that payable by the Chinese subjects nor
higher. The Chinese Government agrees to allow settlements
to be established without delay for the exclusive use of
Japanese at Shanghai, Tientsin, Amoy, and Hankow upon the
demand of the Japanese Government.
- “‘Article IV. The Chinese
Government agrees to instruct the governor-general of
Shantung that the Chinese army shall neither approach nor
occupy any place within an area of five Japanese ri, or about 40 Chinese li, measured from the boundary of the
district occupied by the Japanese army, in accordance with
the treaties between the two countries.
“‘Done in duplicate, in the Japanese and Chinese languages, and
carefully compared, signed, and sealed, a copy being kept by each of
the signatories.
“‘Hayashi Tadasu.
“‘Prince King.
“‘Yin Lu.
“‘Chang Yin-Huan.
“‘19th day, 10th month, 29th year of Meiji.
“‘13th day, 9th month, 22nd year of Kwangsu.’”
