[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
3
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
4079-3
342 [October 24.
SECTION 1.
Acting Consul-General Scott to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-(Received October 24.) (No. 31. Confidential.) My Lord,
Canton, September 21, 1901,
I HAVE the honour to inclose herewith, for your Lordship's information, copy of a despatch which I have addressed to His Majesty's Minister in Peking on the subject of French activity in the Two Kuang.
Inclosure in No. 1.
I have, &c. (Signed)
JAMES SCOTT,
Acting Consul-General Scott to Sir E. Satow,
Canton, September 16, 1901.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram, Secret, of the 12th instant, and in reply to state that your instructions will be carefully carried out.
Regarding the situation generally, there appears at present to be no immediate intention to effect a coup, for the force at the disposal of the French in Canton consists of one man-of-war with two shallow-draft gunboats, and there seems to be no special disposition of French naval forces along the coast. There can, however, be no doubt that the French intend, and are preparing for, an aggressive policy in the Two Kuang Provinces. In the Delta and along the coast they have practically no trade, but within the past year they have been attempting to develop their influence in Canton. At the French Consulate, Yamên, within the city there has been constructed a large foreign building to be used as a college for the instruction of Chinese in the French language. Upon Shameen a small hospital has been opened for the treatment of European and Chinese patients. Two steamers "Le Rhône" and "La Seine," having head-quarters in Canton, one of which runs to Hong Kong and the other, started just lately, to Kuang Chou Wan, are both generally understood to be under subsidy from the French Government, while a claim is considered by the French Consul to exist in favour of his Government and his nationals to priority of all mining rights in the Two Kuang Provinces.
Systematic support is accorded to the French priests, and protection is given in a special degree to their native converts in their litigation and disputes with their non-Christian fellow-subjects. In the Port of Canton the French officials have recently ignored the authority of the Maritime Customs in respect to the mooring of ships, and have taken upon themselves to lay down buoys.
Recently junks and launches have taken to flying French colours, and it is notorious that one firm (Chauvin, Chevalier, and Co.) regularly lends its name and assistance for this purpose. The Chinese authorities are unwilling to interfere with these French-protected vessels. Surveys have been made by the French river gun-boats of the West River and the Delta waterways, which they are constantly patrolling.
In the Ports of Hoihow and Pakhoi there are large Consular establishments with medical officers and hospitals attached.
The Chinese officials all over Kuang Tung Province, as I know specially from my experience at Swatow, are in constant apprehension of demands, claims, and high-handed proceedings on the part of the French authorities, especially in regard to Mission questions; for there is no doubt that the French priests are training up a large native following subservient to their wishes and looking to France as their protector.
Another significant fact is the establishment of a regular French post-office which the French Consul has stated, by circular, to be in conjunction with the Postal Union; two sub-offices have been established in conspicuous parts of Canton City. Some time after the setting-up of these sub-offices the French Consul applied to the Viceroy in order to
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## Becomes[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
3
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
4079-3
342 October 24.
SECTION 1.
Acting Consul-General Scott to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-(Received October 24.) (No. 31. Confidential.) My Lord,
Canton, September 21, 1901,
I HAVE the honour to inclose herewith, for your Lordship's information, copy of a despatch which I have addressed to His Majesty's Minister in Peking on the subject of French activity in the Two Kuang.
Inclosure in No. 1.
I have, &c. (Signed)
JAMES SCOTT,
Sir,
Acting Consul-General Scott to Sir E. Satow,
Canton, September 16, 1901.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram, Secret, of the 12th instant, and in reply to state that your instructions will be carefully carried out.
Regarding the situation generally, there appears at present to be no immediate intention to effect a coup, for the force at the disposal of the French in Canton consists of one man-of-war with two shallow-draft gunboats, and there seems to be no special disposition of French naval forces along the coast. There can, however, be no doubt that the French intend, and are preparing for, an aggressive policy in the Two Kuang Provinces. In the Delta and along the coast they have practically no trade, but within the past year they have been attempting to develop their influence in Canton. At the French Consulate, Yamên, within the city, there has been constructed a large foreign building to be used as a college for the instruction of Chinese in the French language. Upon Shameen, a small hospital has been opened for the treatment of European and Chinese patients. Two steamers, "Le Rhône" and "La Seine," having headquarters in Canton, one of which runs to Hong Kong and the other, started just lately, to Kuang Chou Wan, are both generally understood to be under subsidy from the French Government, while a claim is considered by the French Consul to exist in favour of his Government and his nationals to priority of all mining rights in the Two Kuang Provinces.
Systematic support is accorded to the French priests, and protection is given in a special degree to their native converts in their litigation and disputes with their non-Christian fellow-subjects. In the Port of Canton, the French officials have recently ignored the authority of the Maritime Customs in respect to the mooring of ships, and have taken upon themselves to lay down buoys.
Recently, junks and launches have taken to flying French colours, and it is notorious that one firm (Chauvin, Chevalier, and Co.) regularly lends its name and assistance for this purpose. The Chinese authorities are unwilling to interfere with these French-protected vessels. Surveys have been made by the French river gun-boats of the West River and the Delta waterways, which they are constantly patrolling.
In the Ports of Hoihow and Pakhoi, there are large Consular establishments with medical officers and hospitals attached.
The Chinese officials all over Kuang Tung Province, as I know specially from my experience at Swatow, are in constant apprehension of demands, claims, and high-handed proceedings on the part of the French authorities, especially in regard to Mission questions; for there is no doubt that the French priests are training up a large native following subservient to their wishes and looking to France as their protector.
Another significant fact is the establishment of a regular French post-office, which the French Consul has stated, by circular, to be in conjunction with the Postal Union; two sub-offices have been established in conspicuous parts of Canton City. Some time after the setting-up of these sub-offices, the French Consul applied to the Viceroy in order to...
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