For the purpose of supplying her thousands of colonists with a great seaport and commercial outlet, Russia had built the city of Dalny (q.v.), 14 miles from Port Arthur, on the eastern side of the Liao-Tung Peninsula.
The population grew rapidly, and the lines of steamships which load here directly has the cars of the Siberian Railroad increasedm number and in frequency of service, while bide were received at Port Arthur by the Russ= authorities for the construction of electric lide plants and electric railways for Mukden, bin and New-Chwang.
On 8 Oct. 1903 the Russian government len pledged to evacuate Manchuria, yet when the day came she only poured in more soldiers and made a great naval demonstration, her actions creating international uneasiness for Japan and Great Britain from political as well as conuner cial motives, and for the United States on ac count of commercial rights obtained by the Shanghai treaty to trade freely with Manchuria. were particularly interested in ensuring the in tegrity of the Chinese Empire, its tive control over its Manchurian provinces and the maintenance of the principle of the gopen door.* Furthermore, Russia added to the troll ole which was brewing over her continued cupation of Manchuria by opposing Japan her refusal to allow Korea to open the port 01 Wi-ju to foreign trade, or to permit Japan to lay a telegraph line from Seoul to Fusan. Rus sia, moreover, obtained from the Korean ernment a timber-felling concession south of the Yalta, and also had a telegraph line in work ing order in Korean territory. Japan had great interests at stake. Russia in Manchuria was a constant menace to the independence of Korea, over the suzerainty of which Japan had successfully fought China in 1894-95. Japan.
in assimilating all that was best of Occidental civilization, had learned all that was learning of European diplomacy, and by revision and her correct attitude during .the, Chinese War by the Boxer troubles had moo herself and been admitted to the rank of a civilized world power.
Soon after Russia, with the aid of France 2nd Germany, had secured a diplomatic victory over Japan in obliging her to withdraw from the Liao-Tung Peninsula, which she had occu pide by right of conquest over China in 1894— 95. Japan had effected a defensive and offensive alliance with Great Britain, whereby that power was pledged to intervene in any future conflict, should any third party again interfere with Japan's political arrangements. In July 1893, Japan had opened negotiations with the Russian government "with a view to a friendly defini tion of the interests of the two countries in Manchuria and Korea where those interests meet, and thereby to remove every cause of conflict between Japan and Russia." She now redoubled her efforts in that direction. Russia, it is alleged, unduly delayed her replies, or pro posed such amendments as were altogether in consistent with Japan's idea of an amicable set tlement, thus, making the situation more and more complicated. Besides, Russia made great naval and military preparations, dispatching all her most powerful war vessels to the extreme Orient and sending military reinforcements to Manchuria and the neighboring regions. Japan, believing further delay would increase her dan ger, broke off negotiations with Russia on 6 Feb. 1904. On the 9th, without any formal dec laration, war was begun by Japan. (See JAPAN;