(No. 1.) TO ADMIRAL ABAZA, HOUSE NO. 50, FIFTH LINE, VASSILI OSTROFF, ST. PETERSBURG. Our enterprises in East constantly meet with opposition from Dzan-Dzun of Mukden and Taotai of Feng-huang-cheng. Russian officer merchants have been sent East to make reconnaissances and examine places on Ya-lu. They are accompanied by Hun-huses, whom I have hired. The Dzan-Dzun, feeling that he is soon to be freed from guardianship of Russians, has become awfully impudent, and has even gone so far as to order Yuan to begin hostile operations against Russian merchants and Chinese accompanying them, and to put latter under arrest. Thanks to timely measures taken by Admiral, this order has not been carried out; but very fact shows that Chinese rulers of Manchuria are giving themselves free rein, and, of course, after we evacuate Manchuria their impudence and their opposition to Russian interests will have no limit. _Admiral (Alexeieff) took it upon himself to order that Mukden and Yinkow (Newchuang) be not evacuated._[108] To-day it has been decided to hold Yinkow, but, unfortunately, to move the troops out of Mukden. _After evacuation of Mukden, state of affairs, so far as our enterprises are concerned, will be very, very much worse,[108] which, of course, is not desirable._ To-morrow I go to the Ya-lu myself. (Signed) MADRIDOFF. Shortly before Lieutenant-Colonel Madridoff sent this telegram to Admiral Abaza, Bezobrazoff, who had been several months in the Far East, started for St. Petersburg with the evident intention of seeing the Tsar and persuading him to order, definitely, a suspension of the evacuation of the province of Mukden, for the reason that “it would inevitably result in the liquidation of the affairs of the timber company.” From a point on the road he sent back to Madridoff the following telegram, which bears date of April 8, 1903, the very day when the evacuation of the province of Mukden should have been completed, in accordance with the Russo-Chinese agreement of April 8, 1902: (No. 2.) TO MADRIDOFF, PORT ARTHUR. There will be an understanding attitude toward the affair after I make my first report. I am only afraid of being too late, as I shall not get there until April 16, and the Chief leaves for Moscow on April 17. I will do all that is possible, and shall insist on manifestation of energy in one form or another. Keep me advised, and don’t get discouraged. There will soon be an end of the misunderstanding. (Signed) BEZOBRAZOFF. On April 24, 1903, Bezobrazoff sent Madridoff from St. Petersburg a telegram written, evidently, after he had made his first “report” to “the Chief.” It was as follows: (No. 3.) TO MADRIDOFF, PORT ARTHUR.