[This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
-349
9545
[August 23,]
SECTION 22 JEP J8]
Intelligence Division to Foreign Office.-(Received August 23.)
THE Director of Military Intelligence presents his compliments to the Under- Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and begs to forward, with the request that it may be returned when done with, some correspondence respecting the present rebellion in Southern China.
18, Queen Anne's Gate, London,
August 23, 1898.
3
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Dear Colonel McSwiney,
Mr. Long to Colonel McSwiney.
I INCLOSE herewith a copy of a Report from the Officer Commanding Her
Hong Kong, July 20, 1898. Majesty's ship "Tweed" at Wuchow to the Commodore in charge here, which the latter very kindly gave me. I dare say that in due course it would reach you from the Admiralty Intelligence, but it saves time by my sending it on to you direct, and, also, that I think it desirable to draw particular attention to this so-called rebellion. The general impression here by all those in a good position to judge, such as Bell- Irving, the head of Jardine, Matheson, and Co., &c., is that the French are at the back of this rebellion; that they bave practically created it. or stirred it up, so that later on, as events develop, they may have an opportunity for interfering. They have already come forward with an offer of assistance in the way of troops.
Sound opinion is unanimous that the riot which has just taken place in the French Concession at Shanghae over the Ningpo goss-house has been deliberately started by the French, as it was a foregone conclusion that any interference there was bound to lead to trouble, and that this action of the French was premeditated seems fairly proved, when one remembers that similar interference in the past had caused serious' trouble.
It is strange that we should now get wires from the north reporting that there are troubles of risings on the northern Chinese frontiers, and the opinion here is that at all these places-Kwangsi, Shanghae, and the north-France and Russia are working hand in hand. The very
man in the street" now talks of Hankow as an object of Russian absorption in the near future, and cannot understand how blind Great Britain is to the bear's rapid and far-reaching advance.
In October last year I wrote to Napier re the massing, or rather storing, of huge quantities of supplies at Vladivostock, and pointed out that everything indicated an early move on Russia's part.
His letter of reply stated that you did not think so, as the supplies were required for the employés on the railway. Before this letter reached me Russia had actually got on the move,
The Colony is much excited over the extension of its boundaries, and, needless to remark, is vigorously protesting against effete and powerless China being allowed to retain any voice or authority over the ceded territory. Might I make a suggestion as regarding the policing of the new territory, and that is, that on Imperial grounds the Colonial authorities be urged to form a police battalion on semi-military lines, as I feel certain that this would be a step in the right direction, and might form a nucleus for the eventual formation of a regular Britishi-Chinese force, which would be available for future contingencies.
There is a fairly general opinion that some portion of the Chinese, well drilled, officered, and led, would make excellent fighting material.
Yours sincerely, (Signed) S. S. LONG.
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