"In spite of the contention that i the alleged British recognition of the validity of Japan's protest against the Fakumen railway will entail the cancelling of the scheme, the question is of sufficient importance in its bearing upon the general position in Manchuria to call for a recapitulation of the facts and the arguments on both sides of the case, By the Treaty of Portsmouth (September 1905) Japan acquired from Russia the latter's rights over the Manchurian Railway to the South of Kuanchengtze, and in the Convention subsequently made (December 17) between Baron Komura and the Chinese Government China tacitly recognized Japan's reversionary railway rights in South Manchuria. Moreover, in addition to the published Convention, it appears that certain supplementary Articles were agreed to, formally recorded, and exchanged in the form of official minutes, during the course of the negotiations—Articles which, the Japanese aver, were withheld from publication at the request of the Chinese Plenipotentiaries. By one of these supplementary clauses, China undertook, for the protection of the interests of the South Manchuria Railway," not to construct any main line in the neighbourhood of that Railway and parallel thereto, or any branch line prejudicial to its interests. It is upon the strength of this prohibitory clause that the Japanese Government objects to the present proposal of the Chinese to extend their Northern Railway system northwards from Hsinmintan to Fakumen, and has intimated its intention of preventing the work by forcible measures, if necessary.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.