Memorandum from the Russian Embassy.

The Russian minister at Peking has, the day before yesterday, forwarded to the Chinese ministers a communication in the name of the Imperial Russian Government in which he points out that the Imperial Government attach the greatest importance to the question of a possible participation of Russia in the Chinchow-Aigun Railroad enterprise, but that the necessity of carefully considering this question precludes the possibility of at the present moment defining the position they may take in regard thereto.

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At the same time the Imperial Government expressed the wish that China would take no final decision in the question of the Chinchow-Aigun line without previous consultation with Russia, as otherwise consequences might ensue undesirable as regards the relations between the two powers.

The Russian ambassador is instructed to confidentially acquaint the Government of the United States with the step taken at Peking.