Chargé Fletcher to the Secretary of State.
Peking, March 4, 1910.
Sir: In compliance with the Department’s telegraphic instruction dated March 1, 4 p.m., I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy and translation of the note addressed by the Tsung-li Yamen to the Russian minister, M. de Giers, on June 1, 1899, the Chinese text of [Page 264] which was handed to me this morning by the Russian minister, Mr. Korostovetz. The note reads as follows:
Your Excellency: We discussed with your excellency a few days ago the subject of a railway connecting the Manchurian Railway with Peking, and explained the difficulty felt by the Chinese Government in acceding to the proposal. But we stated clearly that no other government would be allowed to construct such a railway.
We now wish to reiterate In the plainest terms that China agrees that if railways are in future built from Peking to the north or to the northeast toward the Russian border, China reserves the right to construct such roads with Chinese capital and under Chinese supervision, but if it is proposed to have such construction undertaken by any other nation, the proposal shall be first made to the Russian Government or to the Russian syndicate to construct the railway, and on no consideration will any other government or a syndicate of any other nationaity be allowed to construct the railway.
We ask your excellency to communicate this message to the Foreign Office of your excellency’s Government.
I have, etc.,