charge d'affaires in Peking made a series of further demands upon China,
including the virtual reservation of the commerce of Manchuria for
Russian subjects. Though Russia officially denied to the British and
American governments that she had made these demands, it was
demonstrated that they had been made. The United States and Japan
thereupon insisted that China should conclude with them commercial
treaties throwing open Mukden and two ports on the Yalu river to foreign
trade. The American treaty was signed on the 8th of October 1903--the
day fixed for the complete evacuation of Manchuria by Russia--and the
Japanese treaty on the day following. Both treaties provided that the
ports should be opened after ratifications had been exchanged. From fear
of Russia China, however, delayed the ratification of the treaties.
Meantime, in August 1903, a regular through railway service between
Moscow and Port Arthur was established. In the same month a Russian
Viceroyalty of the Far East was created which in effect claimed
Manchuria as a Russian province. In September Russia withdrew some of
the demands she had made in April, but her concessions proved illusory.
When the 8th of October passed and it was seen that the Russians had not
withdrawn their troops[60] there issued for a time threats of war from
Peking. Yuan Shih-kai, the viceroy of Chih-li, who had at his command
some 65,000 troops trained by Japanese officers, pressed on the
government the necessity of action. At this point Japan intervened. Her
interests were vitally affected by Russia's action not only in
Manchuria, but in Korea, and seeing that China was powerless the
Japanese government negotiated directly with St Petersburg. In these
negotiations Russia showed that she would not yield her position in
either country except to force. Japan chose the issue of war and proved
successful.

Lessons of the Russo-Japanese War.

The Russo-Japanese War did not very greatly alter China's position in
Manchuria. In the southern part of that country Japan succeeded to the
special privileges Russia had wrung from China (including the lease of
Port Arthur); in the north Russia remained in possession of the railway
zone. For Japan's position as at once the legatee of special privileges
and the champion of China's territorial integrity and "the open door"
see JAPAN, Sec. _History_. However, the attitude of Japan was more
conciliatory than that of Russia had been; Mukden and other