The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-09
Impressed With Necessity.


 Furthermore this refusal of the Rus government all the more with the neces- sity or the insertion of a clause to the effect that Japan has important com merciai interests in Manchuria. and enter tain no small hopes of their further devel- opment, and that politically, Japan has even interests there by reason of its re- lations to Korea, so that she could not possibly recognize Manchuria as being en- tirely outside her sphere of interest. The Japanese government explained the above views and at the same time introduced other necessary amendments in the Rus sian counter proposal.
 They further proposed with regard to a neutral zone, that if one was to be cre- ated 1t should be established in both sides of the boundary line. between Man churia and Korea, equal with. say fifty kilometers.
 Finally Presented Amendment.
 After repeated discussions at Tokio the Japanese government finally presented the Russian government their definitel amend. ment on the 18th of October. The Jana nese government then frequently urged the Russian government for a reply In that reply Russia suppressed clauses re- lating to Manchuria so as to make the proposed convention apply entirely to Korea, and maintained it's original de- mands in regard to the non-employment of Korean territory for strategical pur- poses as we'll as a neutral zone but the exclusion of Manchuria from the proposed convention being contrary to the original object of the negotiations which were to remove the causes of conflict between tn. two countries and by friendly arrange ment of their interests both in Manchu- ria and Korea. the Japanese government asked the Russia government to recon slider the question.
 The Japanese government again pro- posed the removal of the restriction re- garding the use of Korean territory. and the entire suppression of the neutral zone on the ground that if Russia was opposed to the establishment of one in Manchuria it should not establish one in Korea.
 Last Reply of Russia.
 The last reply of Russia was received at Tokio on the 9th of January. In this reply Russia proposed to agree to insert the following clause in the proposed agreement:
 "The rec ognition by Japan of Manchu- ria and its literal. as outside her sphere and interest. whilst Russia within the limits of the province would not impede Japanese or any other power in the enoy- ment of rights and privileges acquired by them under existing treaties with China, exclusive of the establishment of set tlement."
 But this was proposed to be agreed upon only on conditions maintaining the clauses regarding a neutral zone in Korea ter ritory and the employment of Korean territory for strategical purposes: the conditions whereof were impossible ol Japans accepting as had already been fully explained.
 No Mention Was Made.
 It should further be observed that no mention was made at all of the territor- ial integrity of China in Manchuria. and 1t must be self-evident to everybody that the arrangement now proposed by Rus sia would be impractical in value. so long as 1t was unaccorppanied by a de- finite stiputation regarding the territor- ial integrity of China In IManchuria. since treaty rights are only} coexistent with sovereignty.