RUSSIAN TROOPS. 305 



it without suspecting the presence of any excessive 

 number. Nevertheless they are there. There are 

 miHtary posts at intervals of 5 versts the length of the 

 line, barracks and stables are in process of construction 

 at every station along the South Manchurian branch, 

 and long lines of innocent-looking goods waggons on 

 the sidings prove on closer inspection to be the tem- 

 porary home of Russian soldiers. I was told on excel- 

 lent authority that by July — three months, that is, 

 before the promised final evacuation of the country — 

 there were 200,000 Russian troops in the Far East.^ 

 In August an additional twenty-three trains, bearing 

 troops and military equipment, passed along the Siberian 

 line eastward bound, and now a fortnight prior to the 

 date fixed for the completion of the evacuation of 

 Manchuria two more brigades were hurrying south 

 from Chita, and an order had gone forth to replace all 

 Chinese employees on the line, such as firemen, points- 

 men, &c., by Russian soldiers. 



Mobilisation everywhere ; the air was full of it. I 

 read through Article ii. of the Manchurian Convention 

 of April 1902: "Russia . . . consents on its part . . . 

 to withdraw gradually all Russian troops from Man- 

 churia, as follows : (a) Within six months from the 

 signing of the Convention, from the south-western 

 portion of Mukden province as far as the Liao river, at 

 the same time restoring the railway to China ; (b) 

 during the six months following — i.e., between October 

 8, 1902, and April 8, 1903 — from the remaining portion 

 of Mukden province and Kirin province ; (c) during the 

 six months following — i.e., between April 8, 1903, and 



1 This estimate has since been confirmed by Mr J. W. Davidson, U.S. 

 consul at Formosa, who said in December, " Every place of importance on 

 and off the railroad is held by troops, whose number, inclusive of the gar- 

 rison of Vladivostok, is not less than 200,000. " 



U 



