384 THE FAR EAST. 



forces in the northern provinces ; (4) without Russia's 

 consent no mining, railway, or other privileges to be 

 conceded to the subjects of another Power in Manchuria, 

 Mongolia, Tarbagatai, Hi, Kashgar, Yarkand, or Khoten, 

 and China herself not to construct a railway in those 

 provinces without Russia's consent ; (5) indemnities due 

 to Russia to be set off, if desirable, against privileges of 

 other kinds ; and (6) Russia to have the right to build 

 a railway to the Great Wall in the direction of Peking. 



The convention, eventually concluded in March, was 

 a vast improvement on previous propositions, and though 

 there were several points which were not deemed com- 

 pletely satisfactory in this country. Lord Lansdowne 

 informed the Russian Ambassador that he "did not 

 desire to examine these provisions too microscopically," 

 and hoped that " the Agreement would be loyally and 

 considerately interpreted on both sides." 



But if the convention signed in March 1902 was more 

 or less satisfactory to other interested Powers, it was 

 very far from being so to Russia ; and there can be 

 very little doubt that when she signed it, under pres- 

 sure of the Anglo -Japanese Alliance, she did so with 

 the mental reservation that she in no way considered 

 herself bound by it. Inconvenient pressure was thereby 

 temporarily removed, and she was content to await what 

 the future would bring forth. Those, therefore, who 

 had all along clearly foreseen what was the real object 

 of Russian desire were no doubt fully prepared for the 

 delay in the evacuation, and the news, which came a 

 year later, of a further set of Russian demands, and 

 again in September 1903 of similar conditions. 



It is unnecessary to enumerate the various subter- 

 fuges under cover of which Russia found it possible to 

 postpone the evacuation, and even to reoccupy such 

 portions of the country as had actually been given back. 



