CHINA. 



eign and administrative powers in Manchuria, 

 to protect in every way the railroad and staff 

 and safeguard all Russian subjects living in 

 Manchuria, together with the enterprises estab- 

 lished by them. Russia, in view of these obliga- 

 tions assumed by China, consents on its part, 

 in the event of there being no trouble whatsoever 

 and if the conduct of other powers should not 

 oppose obstacles thereto, to withdraw gradually 

 all Russian troops from Manchuria within six 

 months from the signing of the convention from 

 the southwestern part of Mukden province as far 

 as the Liao river, at the same time restoring 

 the Shanhaikwan, Niuchuang and Sinmin- 

 ting Railroad subject to certain conditions; dur- 

 ing the six months following from the rest of 

 Mukden province and from the province of 

 Kirin; and during the next six months from the 

 province of Hehlung-Kiang. Until the evacua- 

 tion is completed the number of Chinese troops 

 to be kept in Manchuria and the military sta- 

 tions must be arranged with the Russian com- 

 mander, and in the fourth article China engages 

 not to increase the garrisons beyond the agreed 

 limit, which ought to be sufficient to exterminate 

 brigands and pacify the country. After com- 

 plete evacuation China will have the right to 

 determine whether the number shall be increased 

 or diminished, but must inform Russia, since 

 the maintenance of an excessive number of Chi- 

 nese troops would necessitate the augmentation 

 of the Russian troops in the adjacent districts, 

 causing an increase of military expenditure to 

 the disadvantage of both countries. For the 

 maintenance of order in the interior outside of 

 the territory ceded to the Chinese Eastern Rail- 

 road Company the provincial military governors 

 may raise a Chinese gendarmerie, mounted and 

 foot, to consist exclusively of Chinese subjects. 

 The conditions on which Russia consented to re- 

 store the Shanhaikwan Railroad, which had been 

 occupied by Russian troops since the end of 

 September, 1900, were that China should under- 

 take the sole responsibility of guarding the rail- 

 road and not invite any other power to under- 

 take or take part in the defense, construction, 

 or working of the railroad, nor permit any power 

 to occupy the territory restored by Russia; that 

 the railroad shall be completed and worked ac- 

 cording to the Anglo-Chinese agreement of April 

 16, 1899, and the contract of Sept. 28, 1898, 

 with the company, China strictly observing the 

 obligations of the company not to take posses- 

 sion of the railroad and undertaking not to 

 part with it in any way whatsoever; that if 

 China should seek to extend the railroads into 

 southern Manchuria, or construct branch lines, 

 or to build a bridge across the Liao river, or to 

 transfer the Shanhaikwan station, a previous un- 

 derstanding must be reached with Russia. China 

 agreed to reimburse Russia for the expenses of 

 repairing and operating the railroad. The con- 

 vention went into force on the day of signing. 

 It was understood that Niuchwang would be re- 

 stored to the Chinese authorities as soon as the 

 powers withdrew from Tientsin, and the railroad 

 as soon as the Shanhaikwan, Tientsin and 

 Pekin Railroad was handed over by the other 

 powers. 



The English delayed the restitution of the 

 branch of the northern railroad held by them 

 because Russia would not immediately surrender 

 some workshops, whereupon Russia refused to 

 ratify the Manchurian agreement or surrender the 

 railroad beyond the Great Wall. Subsequently 

 it was announced that the evacuation ot Man- 

 churia would begin on Oct. 8. Yuan-Shih-Kai 



drew up a plan for the government of Manchuria 

 by a viceroy and two governors, with Chinese 

 officials associated with the Manchus. He pro- 

 posed to create a new province of the Ordos 

 country and parts of Kansu and Shensi with 

 the object of strengthening the border. Russian 

 influence and trade increased in Mongolia as rap- 

 idly as in Manchuria, and relations have been es- 

 tablished between the Russian Government and 

 the native authorities of Tibet. 



Evacuation of Tientsin. The great commer- 

 cial city of northern China and official residence 

 of the Viceroy of the capital province was still 

 in the military occupation of the allied forces 

 and governed by an international provisional 

 Government. Lawlessness and brigandage were 

 rife in the district. The 4,000 foreign troops 

 were no better able to preserve order than the 

 army of Count Waldersee had been in the city 

 and district of Pekin, which became quiet at once 

 when the Chinese soldiery resumed the task. 

 The provisional Government paid a part of the 

 native customs over to the Maritime Customs, 

 and these payments, 700,000 taels per annum, the 

 Chinese authorities promised to continue and to 

 increase when trade, which was stagnant under 

 foreign military rule, revived sufficiently. The 

 foreign officials made plans for the conservancy 

 of the Peiho river, and these the Chinese prom- 

 ised to carry out faithfully. Yuan-Shih-Kai, 

 the Viceroy, who as Governor of Shantung had 

 checked the Boxer insurrection, was humiliated 

 in Chinese eyes to be kept out of his yamen by 

 the prolonged occupation of foreign troops. 



Great Britain and Germany raised various ob- 

 jections to the withdrawal of the troops. After 

 the Anglo-Japanese agreement Germany stood 

 alone. Three-quarters of the foreign garrison 

 were German troops. The Japanese withdrew 

 their garrison gradually. During the foreign in- 

 tervention Germany sent a garrison to Shanghai, 

 where English and French garrisons were main- 

 tained, and this post the German Government de- 

 termined to keep up permanently. By the Anglo- 

 German convention of Oct. 16, 1900, Great Brit- 

 ain conceded to German commerce and naviga- 

 tion equal rights in the Yangste valley. Ger- 

 many also affirmed as to Shantung that her 

 policy was that of the open door to all nations, 

 there as well as in all parts of China. The min- 

 isters in Pekin discussed inconclusively the with- 

 drawal from Tientsin and referred the question 

 back to the military commanders. The German 

 representative objected to an earlier date than 

 July 1. Germany was pressing at this time to 

 obtain a concession for branch railroads from 

 Shantung to Chengting-Fu and Kaifon^-Fu to 

 join the Pekin and Hankau trunk line. Although 

 professing to allow equal rights to all forei<.nu i s 

 in Shantung, the Germans actively sought new 

 concessions. By the text of the German-Cliiin >> 

 agreement of March 6, 1898, whenever the Chi- 

 nese Government or any Chinese undertook en- 

 terprises for the development of Shantung uml 

 needed foreign capital they must .in the first in- 

 stance apply to German capitalists, and what- 

 ever machinery or materials are required may 

 not be obtained elsewhere if German inanufac 

 turers are able and willing to supply them. In 

 the Yangtse valley Great Britain early aban- 

 doned the principle of exclusive or preferential 

 rights. British capitalists were not eager to em- 

 bark in railroad or mining enterprises, in which 

 the Belgians, French, and Russians were more 

 venturesome. An American syndicate had a con- 

 cession for a railroad from Hankau to Canton 

 which the Continental group endeavored to fore- 



