Memorandum from the Russian Embassy.
Washington, February 4, 1908.
The Chinese Government has just lodged a protest both with the imperial Russian authorities and the American and Japanese consuls at Harbin against the contemplated establishment, by the Eastern Chinese Railway Co., of a municipal administration at Harbin and Hailar. While the Japanese consul is favorably disposed toward that reform, the consul of the United States, taking the Chinese side of the question, appears to disapprove of the land grants being put under the administration of the railway. This attitude of the American consul is all the more incomprehensible, as it appears from the exchange of views on this point between the minister of Russia and the representative of the United States at Peking that the Federal Government has not yet taken a determined stand regarding the Russian administrative measures in those ports and that the consul is acting upon his own initiative.
Now, the Imperial Government is of opinion that in this matter the railway company is but exercising rights which belong to it under the concession granted by China for the construction of the railroad track. The measure under consideration has, furthermore, no other object than that of regulating living conditions on the territory granted to the railway and merely meets the requirements of the population, including the foreigners, whose rights are in nowise affected by the establishment of a municipal administration.
This is the reason why the Imperial Government entertains the hope that the Federal Government will share its views on this question and will be good enough to send suitable instructions to its representatives at Peking. It would be especially desirable that the consul of the United States at Harbin be directed to declare, in reply to the Chinese communication, that his Government does not wish to meddle in this matter.