The text, verbatim, of Secretary Hay's note to Russia, on the Ist of February, was as follows:
Washington, D. C., Ist February, 1902.
"An agreement whereby China' gives any corporation or company the exclusive right or privilege of opening mines, establishing railroads, or in any other way industrially developing Manchuria can but be viewed with the gravest concern by the Government of the United States.
"Tt constitutes a monopoly which is a distinct breach of the stipulations of the treaties concluded between China and foreign Powers, and thereby seriously affects the rights of American citizens.
"It restricts their rightful trade, exposing it to being discriminated against, interfered with, or otherwise jeopard:- ed, and strongly tends to perman: impairing China's sovereign rights in t part of the empire, while it seriously interferes with her ability to meet her international obligations.
"Furthermore, such a concession on China's part would be undoubtedly followed by demands from other powers for similar equal extensive advantages elsewhere in the Chinese Empire, and the inevitable result must be the complete wreck of the policy of absolute equality of treatment to all nations, respecting trade, navigation and commerce within the empire's confines.
"On the other hand, the attainment by one Power of such exclusive privileges for the commercial organisations of its national:*y conflicts with the assurances repeatedly conveyed to this government by the Imperial Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Imperial Government's intention to follow the policy of the open door, as advocated by the Gorernment of the United States, and accepted by all the treaty Powers having commercial interests in the Empire.
"Tt is for these reasons that the Government of the United States, now, as formerly, animated by the sincerest: desire of insuring to the whole world the benefits of full and fair intercourse between China and the nations on a footing of equal rights and advantages to all, submits the above to the earnest: consideration of the Imperial Governments of China and Russia, confident, that they will give duo weight to its importance, and that they will relieve the just and natural anxiety of the United States."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.