Minister Rockhill
to the Secretary of State.
American Legation,
Peking
,
May 29,
1906.
No. 317.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith an
article from a recent issue of the Japan Mail of Yokohama on the growth
and present prosperity of the port of Antung on the Yalu and of its
probable importance as a commercial and shipping center.
The Japanese consulate was opened there on the 1st instant, but I am
informed that the Japanese consul has not yet been recognized by the
Chinese authorities. It would seem that the laying out at this place of
a Japanese settlement, provided for by Article IX of the additional
agreement between China and Japan of December 22, 1905, will prove a
very difficult and useless operation, as the Japanese have already taken
possession of practically the whole place and of all desirable locations
adjacent to it, and probably will not surrender them. I do not think
that any other peoples than the Japanese and Koreans will establish
themselves for purposes of trade at Antung, so their monopolizing of all
available or desirable land will not probably raise any objections on
the part of other treaty powers.
I have, tc.,
[Inclosure.]
[From the Japan Mail, May 16,
1906.]
antung.
The Kokumin Shimbun has a long letter from its correspondent in
Antung. He draws a very rosy picture of the progress made by that
place, and it certainly is very remarkable progress according to his
figures. Antung, he says, is divided into the old town and the new.
The former had only 500 or 600 Chinese inhabitants before the war
and consisted mainly of squalid buildings. But it has now 30,000
inhabitants and many fine buildings adorn it. The new town—in which
lies the Japanese quarter—has an area of 3,000,000 tsubo. Its
population already numbers 5,000 Japanese, and constant increments
are taking place. Many solid edifices in Japanese and foreign style
are being erected or have been put up already. The reasons for the
rapid development are numerous. In the first place there is the fact
that Antung constituted a kind of military base throughout the war
and thus great sums of money were spent there, Then, there is the
fact that it was brought into regular railway communication [Page 192] with Mukden from the 1st
of April, the military line having been opened to the general public
on that date. This military line is now to be converted into a
permanent track and of the 30,000,000 yen required for the work a
considerable part must be spent in the Antung region, the place also
becoming an emporium for stores. Further, Antung will probably
become a port of shipment of the Fushun coal mine as it is much
nearer to Fushun than Talien is, and, again it may be said to be in
the most accessible situation as regards the best metal mines in
Manchuria. A bridge is about to be thrown over the Yalu and this
will mean that the produce of northern Korea will come to Antung for
shipment, as will also be the case with timber felled along the
course of the river by the united Chinese and Japanese Company.
Antung used to be exposed to the ravages of floods, but this
disadvantage has been obviated by the construction of a big
embankment. The correspondent speaks finally of admirable sanitary
arrangements and of the provision of good educational
facilities.
