maintenance of open communication between the capital and the sea. The points occupied by the powers are:

Huang-tsun, Lang-fang, Yang-tsun, Tientsin, Chun-liang Ch'eng, Tang-ku, Lu-tai, Tang-shan, Lan-chou, Chang-li, Ch'in-wang tao, Shanhai-kuan.

ARTICLE X.

The Chinese Government has agreed to post and to have published during two years in all district cities the following Imperial Edicts:

(a) Edict of the 1st of February, prohibiting forever, under pain of death, membership in any antiforeign society.

(b) Edicts of the 13th and 21st February, 29th April, and 19th August, enumerating the punishments inflicted on the guilty.

(c) Edict of the 19th August, 1901, prohibiting examinations in all cities where foreigners were massacred or subjected to cruel treatment. (d) Edict of the 1st of February, 1901, declaring all governorsgeneral, governors, and provincial or local officials responsible for order in their respective districts, and that in case of new antiforeign troubles or other infractions of the treaties which shall not be immediately repressed and the authors of which shall not have been punished, these officials shall be immediately dismissed, without possibility of being given new functions or new honors.

The posting of these edicts is being carried on throughout the Empire.

ARTICLE XI.

The Chinese Government has agreed to negotiate the amendments deemed necessary by the foreign governments to the treaties of commerce and navigation and the other subjects concerning commercial relations, with the object of facilitating them.

At present, and as a result of the stipulation contained in Article VI concerning the indemnity, the Chinese Government agrees to assist in the improvement of the courses of the rivers Peiho and Whangpu, as stated below.

(a) The works for the improvement of the navigability of the Peiho, begun in 1898 with the cooperation of the Chinese Government, have been resumed under the direction of an international Commission. As soon as the administration of Tientsin shall have been handed back to the Chinese Government, it will be in a position to be represented on this commission, and will pay each year a sum of sixty thousand Haikwan taels for maintaining the works.

(b) A conservancy Board, charged with the management and control of the works for straightening the Whangpu and the improvement of the course of that river, is hereby created.

This Board shall consist of members representing the interests of the Chinese Government and those of foreigners in the shipping trade of Shanghai. The expenses incurred for the works and the general management of the undertaking are estimated at the annual sum of four hundred and sixty thousand Haikwan taels for the first twenty years. This sum shall be supplied in equal portions by the Chinese Government and the foreign interests concerned. Detailed stipulations concerning the composition, duties, and revenues of the conservancy board are embodied in annex No. 17.

ARTICLE XII.

An Imperial Edict of the 24th of July, 1901, reformed the Office of foreign affairs, (Tsungli Yamen), on the lines indicated by the Powers, that is to say, transformed it into a Ministry of foreign affairs (Wai-wu Pu), which takes precedence over the six other Ministries of State. The same edict appointed the principal members of this Ministry.

An agreement has also been reached concerning the modification of Court ceremonial as regards the reception of foreign Representatives and has been the subject of several notes from the Chinese Plenipotentiaries, the substance of which is embodied in a memorandum herewith annexed. Finally, it is expressly understood that as regards the declarations specified above and the annexed documents originating with the foreign Plenipotentiaries, the French text only is authoritative.

The Chinese Government having thus complied to the satisfaction of the Powers with the conditions laid down in the above-mentioned note of December 22nd, 1900, the Powers have agreed to accede to the wish of China to terminate the situation created by the disorders of the summer of 1900. In consequence thereof the foreign Plenipotentiaries are authorized to declare in the names of their Governments that, with the exception of the legation guards mentioned in Article VII, the international troops will completely evacuate the city of Peking on the 17th September, 1901, and, with the exception of the localities mentioned in Article IX, will withdraw from the province of Chihli on the 22d of September.

The present final Protocol has been drawn up in twelve identic copies and signed by all the Plenipotentiaries of the Contracting Countries.

One copy shall be given to each of the foreign Plenipotentiaries, and one copy shall be given to the Chinese Plenipotentiaries.

Convention Entre La Russie et le Japon Signée à St. Pétersbourg le 17/30 Juillet 1907.

Le Gouvernement de SA MAJESTÉ L'EMPEREUR de toutes les Russies et le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté l'Empereur du Japon, désireux de consolider les rapports de paix et de bon voisinage qui se sont heureusement rétablis entre la Russie et le Japon et voulant écarter pour l'avenir toute cause de malentendus dans les relations des deux empires, sont convenus des dispositions suivantes :

Article. I. Chacune des deux hautes parties contractantes s'engage à respecter l'intégrité territoriale actuelle de l'autre et tous les droits découlant pour l'une et pour l'autre partie, des traités, conventions et contrats en vigueur entre elles et la Chine, copies desquels ont été échangées entre les parties contractantes, en tant que ces croits ne sont pas incompatibles avec le principe de l'opportunité égale, - du traité signé à Portsmouth le 5 Septembre/23 Aout 1905, ainsi que des conventions spéciales conclues entre la Russie et le Japon.

Article II. Les deux hautes parties contractantes reconnaissent l'indépendence et l'intégrité terrioriale de l'empire de Chine et le principe de l'opportunité égale pour ce qui concerne le commerce et l'industrie de toutes nations dans cet empire, et s'engagent à soutenir et à défendre le maintien du statu quo et le respect de ce principe par tous les moyens pacifiques à leur portée.

En foi de quoi les soussignés, dûment autorisés par leur Gouvernements respectifs, ont signé cette convention et y ont apposé leurs sceaux. Fait à St. Pétersbourg, le 17/30 Juillet 1907.

[TRANSLATION.]

The Government of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan and the Government of His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, being desirous to consolidate relations of peace and good neighborhood which have happily been restored between Japan and Russia, and wishing to remove for the future all cause of misunderstanding in the relations of the Two Empires, have agreed upon the following stipulations:

Art. I. Each of the High Contracting Parties engages to respect the actual territorial integrity of the other, and all rights due now both Parties by virtue of treaties, conventions and contracts now in force between them and China, copies of which have been exchanged between the Contracting Parties (so far as those rights are not incompatible with the principle of equal opportunity), as well as by virtue of the Treaty signed at Portsmouth on 1905 and the Special Conventions

September 5,
August 23,

concluded between Japan and Russia.

Art. II. The two High Contracting Parties recognize the independence and territorial integrity of the Empire of China and the principle of equal opportunity for the commerce and industry of all nations in that Empire, and engage to uphold and support the maintenance of status quo and the respect for the said principle by all pacific means at their disposal.

The Undersigned duly authorized by their respective Governments have signed this Convention and have affixed thereto their seals.

Done at St. Petersburg this day

July 30
July 17,

1907.

(Signed) I. MOTONO.
(Signed) A. IZVOLSKY.

AGREEMENT BETWEEN JAPAN AND COREA, SIGNED AT SEOUL JULY 24, 1907, RELATING TO THE INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION OF COREA.

[TRANSLATION.]

The Government of Japan and the Government of Corea, being animated by the desire to attain speedy development of the strength and resources of Corea and to promote the welfare of her people, have, with that object in view, agreed upon the following stipulations:

ARTICLE I. The Government of Corea shall act under the guidance of the Resident General, in respect to reforms in administration.

ARTICLE II. The Government of Corea engage not to enact any laws, ordinances, regulations, nor to take any important measures of administration without the previous assent of the Resident General.

ARTICLE III. Judicial affairs in Corea shall be set apart from the affairs of ordinary administration.

ARTICLE IV. The appointment and dismissal of all the high officials in Corea shall be made with the concurrence of the Resident General. ARTICLE V. The Government of Corea shall appoint as Corean officials Japanese subjects recommended by the Resident General.

ARTICLE VI. The Government of Corea shall not engage the services of any foreigner without the concurrence of the Resident General. ARTICLE VII. Article I of the Protocol, signed between Japan and Corea on August 22nd, 1904, shall hereafter cease to be binding.

In witness whereof, the undersigned duly authorized by their respective Governments, have signed this Agreement and have affixed thereto their seals.

The 24th day of the 7th month of the 40th year of Meiji. (July 24, 1907.)

CONVENTION SIGNED ON AUGUST 31, 1907, BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND RUSSIA, CONTAINING ARRANGEMENTS ON THE SUBJECT OF PERSIA, AFGHANISTAN, AND THIBET.

Sir,

No. 1.

Sir Edward Grey to Sir A. Nicolson.

FOREIGN OFFICE, August 29, 1907. I have to-day authorized your Excellency by telegraph to sign a Convention with the Russian Government containing Arrangements on the subject of Persia, Afghanistan, and Thibet.

The Arrangement respecting Persia is limited to the regions of that country touching the respective frontiers of Great Britain and Russia in Asia, and the Persian Gulf is not part of those regions, and is only