“ARTICLE III. In view of the great development of the commercial and industrial enterprises of Japan in Korea, as also of the considerable number of the Japanese subjects residing in that country, the Russian Imperial Government shall not obstruct the development of the commercial and industrial relations between Japan and Korea.”[515] Each one of these three Articles should be carefully noted, for five years later, in 1903, they, together with the last Article of the Yamagata-Lobanoff Protocol of June 9, 1896, became a conventional ground for Japan’s direct negotiations with Russia which preceded the present war. Particular attention is called to the third Article, wherein Russia recognized for the first time the peculiar interest of the Japanese nation in the economic development of Korea. Less artificial as the Protocol was in comparison with the former agreements, it was, however, hardly adequate as an instrument to reconcile the conflicting interests of Russia and Japan. Fresh complications could well be expected from the second Article, for it, on the other hand, barred the reformatory attempts of a Power whose interests demanded the independence and strength of Korea, and, on the other, cleared the ground for the renewed activity of another Power which had little intention to abstain from undermining the vital interests of Japan. Under these precarious circumstances was opened the second period of the Russo-Japanese relations in Korea. ----- Footnote 492: Cf. _Dōbun-kwai_, No. 49, p. 7. Footnote 493: _Tokushu Jōyaku_, pp. 731–732. Footnote 494: _Ibid._, p. 740. Footnote 495: G. Takeda, _Kinji Kyokutō Gwaikō Shi_ (recent history of diplomacy in the Far East, Tokio, 1904), pp. 22–23. Footnote 496: G. Takeda, pp. 25–30; Y. Hamada, _Nichi-Ro Gwaikō Jūnen Shi_ (ten years of Japanese-Russian diplomacy, Tokio, 1904), p. 47. Also see the _Korea Review_, July (pp. 331–336) and August (pp. 369–371), 1904. Footnote 497: G. Takeda, pp. 30–32. Footnote 498: _Ibid._, pp. 33–34; _Tokushu Jōyaku_, pp. 740–741. See also the _Korea Review_, August, 1904, pp. 377–378. Footnote 499: The contract dated August 28, 1896 (o. s.).—_Tokushu Jōyaku_, pp. 781–791. Footnote 500: The contract of April 22, 1896.—_Ibid._, pp. 772–775. Footnote 501: G. Takeda, p. 45. Footnote 502: _Tokushu Jōyaku_, pp. 740–741. Footnote 503: It is said that Marquis Itō himself had a mind to represent Japan at the coronation, but the mission was finally intrusted to the Field Marshal. It will be remembered that China sent Li Hung-chang for this occasion. Footnote 504: _Tokushu Jōyaku_, pp. 742–744; the _Kaitei Jōyaku Isan_, pp. 601–602; the _Treaties and Conventions between the Empire of Japan and other Powers_, p. 393. Footnote 505: See the same references as are given in the preceding note, pp. 740–742, 596–600, and 391, respectively. Footnote 506: Some of them were strongly pro-Russian.