The Secretary of State to the Russian Ambassador.
Washington, March 9, 1910.
My Dear Mr. Ambassador: I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your memorandum of February 24 last, setting forth the plan of your Government of proposing to China and the British-American interests concerned to build a railroad from Kalgan to Urga and Kiakhta in place of the Chinchow-Aigun line.
While, as your memorandum implies, the question is one which primarily concerns the Chinese Government and the British-American concessionaires who hold the contract for the construction of the Chinchow-Aigun line, yet I am glad to give the plan the consideration you invite. I feel the lack, however, of much technical information necessary to form an intelligent opinion on the subject. Moreover, I have up to the present been unaware of the existence of the agreement of 1899 by which China engaged not to build railroads north of Peking with foreign capital other than Russian, and I would greatly appreciate the courtesy if you are able to supply me with a copy of that agreement.
I am, my dear Baron Rosen, etc.,