Expenditures of the Russo-Japanese war / by Gotaro Ogawa.

10 EXPENDITURES OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR

Peking conference of the powers' representatives, which was
then considering matters related to the Boxer trouble; Russia in reply denied the existence of any secret treaty and
retorted that the Manchurian question concerned only Russia
and China. Great Britain in a subsequent protest exposed the
contents of the secret treaty, upon which Russia produced
her last card by saying that the powers might either believe
in the Czar's assurances of withdrawing his troops when order
was restored in Manchuria, or do what they deemed it was
to their interest to do. Great Britain, however, being occupied with the Boer War at the time, found it inconvenient
to deal directly with the Russian Government in the matter,
so Japan took up the task of negotiating with resolute firmness. Accordingly the Japanese Government intimated to
Russia that it deemed proper that such a question as the
special Russo-Chinese agreement should be submitted to
conference of the powers at Peking. The Russian reply to
this note was that the Czar's government did not wish to
discuss a Russo-Chinese agreement with a third power; but
that the special arrangement in question was solely an agreement as to steps leading up to the withdrawal of Russian
troops in Manchuria, so that neither China's sovereignty nor
the powers' interests were affected by it; that the contents
of the special agreement would be submitted to the powers as
soon as it was concluded, in the belief that they would surely
be satisfied with every detail; and that, if there was any
dissatisfaction on the part of Japan, Russia would try a
friendly compromise with her. On the other hand, Russia
pressed China for the ratification of the secret treaty with the
warning that it would be summarily withdrawn should the
Peking Government hesitate to sign, and that the withdrawal
would result in disasters for China. Early in April, the Elder
Statesmen of Japan held a conference to deliberate on serious
affairs of state, the government began to show extraordinary
signs of activity, and the General Staff Office appeared to be
preparing for warlike operations. Determined to carry
through her point with Russia without the cooperation of