6
police, when the troops absolutely disobeyed the orders of their officers, and the latter were afraid to try to enforce them. Two soldiers lost their heads over this, but I understand misplaced leniency was shown to the officers, the Viceroy being afraid.
I cannot ascertain that the authorities have anything beyond suspicion to go on as regards their belief in the importation of arms. The Viceroy told the Commis- sioner of Customs a wild story about mail steamers stopping between Hong Kong and Shanghae to discharge arms and ammunition into native boats. No seizures have been made, so far as I know. A German named Hoffman, agent of Arnhold, Karberg, and Co. came up with guns to exhibit, and my informant suspects he was engaged in illicit traffic in arms, because he and his compradore remained in Nanking for several months, ostensibly to try and secure contract for machinery for waterworks, though he must have known that the proposed Waterworks Company could not succeed in raising the necessary capital. But this, again, is only suspicion.
My informant is of opinion that "anti-dynastic" and ";
**anti-foreign are inter- changeable terms, as the anti-dynastic movement seeks to embroil the Government with foreigners. He has promised to let me know if he hears of danger. He says he will send his family away if he does. He recommended me to have a gun-boat here, but I see no reason at present to ask for special protection for Nanking, though I should be glad, if it could be arranged, by concert with the other fleets or otherwise, to have a British or other foreign man-of-war here pretty constantly during the winter.
(Signed) W. P. KER.
Inclosure 4 in No. 1.
**
Extract from Hangchow Intelligence Report for December Quarter, 1906.
Suspected Anti-Dynastic Movement.
A GERMAN merchant from Shanghae who visited the port in October sold some 400 rifles herc, alleging that they were for the officials; it turned out afterwards, however, that they had got into unlicenced hands-probably those of salt smugglers. A Japanese was also discovered sometime ago landing with a hand-bag containing forty-five revolvers which he had omitted to declare at the Customs, and the latter have recently become very strict in examining all luggage and house-boats-of foreigners as well as Chinesc-for arms and ammunition. I understand that this is done in consequence of orders from the officials who seem to suspect that some anti-dynastic movement is on foot, and that advantage has been taken of the former laxity of the Customs to import arms and ammunition. I have ascertained the above from casual remarks made by members of the local Customs staff, who decline, however, to speak about the matter if approached directly. The Chinese officials are equally secretive on the subject. Personally I am unable to obtain any evidence of an agitation of the kind mentioned being on foot hero.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
468 C. O.
[A]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[6014]
No. 1.
9970
[February 2
SRCTION
REG: 19 MAR 07)
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey--(Received February 23.)
(No. 5. Confidential.) Sir,
Peking, January 4, 1907.
I RECEIVED a visit yesterday from Prince Kung, and some of the remarks which he made, although of no striking importance in themselves, may not be without interest to you as an indication of the views held by prominent young Chinese of a progressive type.
His Highness is the grandson of the Prince of the same name who concluded the Treaty of Tien-tain with Lord Elgin, and was for many years afterwards the leading statesman of China. He bears a marked resemblance to his grandfather, and has the frankness of speech and decision of manner which characterized the elder statesman. The Prince spoke very freely of the Boxer movement, and is the only Chinese of any Even standing who has voluntarily broached the subject in conversation with me. amongst the common people I have noticed a marked reluctance to speak of the events of that year.
Prince Kung referred to the missionary troubles in Shantung as the exciting cause of the outbreak, and alluded to the great difficulty of holding an even balance between the Christians and the ordinary population. The Edicts which were at first issued for the suppression of the disturbance were of commendable severity, but the attitude of the Emperor and Empress weakened as the Throne gradually became surrounded by Boxers. He recalled an audience at which he himself had a sharp encounter with Prince Tuan in the Imperial presence. The Empress asked Prince Tuan if he was quite confident that he could exterminate the foreigners, and on receiving a very decided reply in the affirmative said "Very good; but how do you propose to do it ?"
The reply being unconvincing, Prince Kung pointed out that even if the foreign Legations were razed to the ground it would not mean the disappearance of foreigners, as foreign soldiers would come to Peking as they did in 1860. This expression of opinion was unpalatable, and, the Prince gave me to understand, exposed him to considerable danger.
Prince Ching, not being in the Privy Council at the time, appears to have sat on the fence, and the safety of the Legations, according to Prince Kung, was largely attributable to Yung Lu and his influence over the troops. He held that the movement, when all is said and done, was a patriotic though misguided one, and had been a blessing in disguise for China. Washington he regarded as a Boxer and a successful one,b ut his patriotismu had been directed into the proper channel.
Even as it was, the rising could easily have been suppressed at the outset, and had his grandfather heen alive it would never have attained formidable proportions. His grandfather had steered China through a far more difficult crisis in 1860, when the English and the French occupied the capital and the west was in the hands of Mahommedan insurgents, and the whole Empire was barely recovering from the effects of the Taiping rebellion. China, however, was not the only country that had suffered from the loss of great men. If England had had a Wellington she would not have been so long in conquering the Transvaal. The man who crushed Napoleon would have made short work of the Boers.
China would never again have a Boxer rising. The spread of modern education was dissipating the ignorance of the masses and offered a far better guarantee against the outbreak of any similar fanaticism than any Imperial Edicts could do.
Speaking of the recent reorganization of the Government, the Prince said that, however excellent it might be in theory, it had still to stand the test of actual experience, and he seemed to think that further changes would be required if any real progress towards Western standards was to be made. England had only reached her
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