I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency’s note of this day’s date in which you stated “that the places which ought to be opened as Commercial Ports by China herself, as provided in Article 6 of the Treaty respecting South Manchuria and Eastern Inner Mongolia signed this day, will be selected, and the regulations therefor, will be drawn up, by the Chinese Government itself, a decision concerning which will be made after consulting the Minister of Japan.”

In reply, I beg to state that I have taken note of the same.

I avail, etc.,

(Signed) HIOKO EKI.

His Excellency,
Lou Tseng-tsiang,
Minister of Foreign Affairs.

SOUTH MANCHURIA

—­Note—­

Peking, the 25th day of the 5th month of the 4th year of the Republic of
China.

Monsieur le Ministre,

I have the honour to state that Japanese subjects shall, as soon as possible, investigate and select mines in the mining areas in South Manchuria specified hereinunder, except those being prospected for or worked, and the Chinese Government will then permit them to prospect or work the same; but before the Mining regulations are definitely settled, the practice at present in force shall be followed.  Provinces Fengtien:—­

|Locality            |District                 |Mineral
|                    |                         |
|Niu Hsin T’ai       |Pen-hsi                  |Coal
|Tien Shih Fu Kou    |Pen-hsi                  |Coal
|Sha Sung Kang       |Hai-lung                 |Coal
|T’ieh Ch’ang        |Tung-hua                 |Coal
|Nuan Ti T’ang       |Chin                     |Coal
|An Shan Chan region |From Liaoyang to Pen-hsi |Iron

KIRIN (Southern portion)

|Locality            |District                 |Mineral
|                    |                         |
|Sha Sung Kang       |Ho-lung                  |C. & I.
|Kang Yao Chia       |Chi-lin (Kirin)          |Coal
|P’i Kou             |Hua-tien                 |Gold

I avail, etc.,

(Signed) LOU TSENG-TSIANG.

His Excellency,
Hioki Eki,
Japanese Minister.

—­Reply—­

Peking, the 25th day of the 5th month of the 4th year of Taisho. 
Excellency,

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency’s note of this day respecting the opening of mines in South Manchuria, stating; “Japanese subjects shall, as soon as possible, investigate and select mines in the mining areas in South Manchuria specified hereinunder, except those being prospected for or worked, and the Chinese Government will then permit them to prospect or work the same; but before the Mining regulations are definitely settled, the practice at present in force shall be followed.

1 Provinces Fengtien.