2
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
484
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[February 23.]
SECTION 8.
10923
[6025]
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received February 23.)
IPL 2
\REGE 26 MAR 07/
(No. 16.) Sir,
Peking, January 7, 1907. IN my despatch No. 529 of the 13th ultimo I had the honour to inform you that the Wai-wu Pu had agreed to act upon a suggestion which I had made to the effect that the Commander-in-chief at Canton should be instructed to concert measures with the Commissioner of Customs for the suppression of piracy in inland waters.
On the 18th December the Wai-wu Pu informed me that the Commander-in- chief bad, they understood, placed himself in communication with the Commissioner of Customs, and that an arrangement was under consideration which would be communicated to the British and other Consuls.
On the 28th December His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General at Canton, whom I have kept fully informed of the course of the negotiations, telegraphed to me the result of an interview which he had had with the Viceroy on the previous day. At this his Excellency had stated that there was no precedent for removing the patrol of the river from the control of the Commander-in-chief and that he had no power to agree to such a proposal, but he explained that be had instructed the Commander-in- chief to confer with the Consul-General and the Commissioner of Customs, and added that, if a satisfactory arrangement could be made, he would not object to the employment of foreigners appointed by the Customs in the patrol launches on the river.
This appeared to me to be a decided step in advance, and I assured His Majesty's Consul-General by telegraph that I would do all in my power here to secure accept- ance for the scheme. I added that the Chinese Government appeared to be convinced that a serious effort must be made to repress piracy, and that there was less sacrifice of dignity in employing foreigners for that purpose than in allowing foreign Govern- ments to police their inland waterways.
A slight hitch, however, occurred a few days ago, when Mr. Mansfield informed me by telegraph that the Commissioner of Customs had received telegraphic instruc- tions from Sir R. Hart to the effect that the employment of foreigners on patrolling launches was not contemplated, but that the Commissioners at the four Treaty ports on the river should control the arrivals and departures of the launches, which should be duly reported to them. Both the Consul-General and the Commissioner of Customs considered this arrangement quite inadequate, and held that each launch should have a foreigner under Customs control in command, in addition to a combatant native crew furnished by the Chinese authorities.
I lost no time in seeing Sir R. Hart on the subject. His telegram appears to have been sent under the impression that the Chinese would scarcely consent to the employment of foreigners. He anticipated great difficulty in finding a sufficient number of suitable foreigners for the work, but said that he was prepared to go as far as the Chinese could be induced to go, and promised generally to continue the co-operation which is essential to the success of the scheme.
I telegraphed in this sense to Mr. Mansfield on the 3rd instant.
(2376 -8)
I have, &c. (Signed)
J. N. JORDAN.