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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL
[7318]
(Confidential.)
No. 1.
War Office to Foreign Office.~(Received March 5.)
G. C. [March 1983
BLCZ SECTION 3.
REGE 5 APR 07.
Sir,
I AM commanded by the Army Council to forward herewith, for the information of
War Office, March 4, 1907. the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy of a letter received from the General Officer Commanding the troops in North China, proposing certain changes in the distribution of the garrison under his command.
Apart from the political considerations involved, it would be impossible for the Council to come to a decision on the proposals of the General Officer Commanding for concentrating his troops at Tien-tsin without calling for detailed estimates of the financial effect of these proposals, as it seems likely that some of the reductions which he suggests could not be made, while considerable extra cost in providing fresh accom- modation would certainly be involved.
Much, however, depends on the length of time during which it may be necessary to retain His Majesty's troops in North China, and I am to request that the Council may be favoured by Sir Edward Grey with an expression of opinion on the following points :-
(a.) Is it the intention of His Majesty's Government to withdraw the whole or any portion of the garrison from North China in the near future?
(6.) If so, is it possible under existing conditions to foreshadow an approximate date for such withdrawal?
(c.) If the retention of the present garrison in North China is likely to be prolonged, would there be political objections to the abolition of detached posts and to the concentration at Tien-tsin recommended by Brigadier-General W. H. H. Waters?
I
am, &c.
(Signed)
R. H. BRADE.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Brigadier-General Waters to War Office.
(Confidential.) Sir,
Tien-tsin, December 13, 1906. I HAVE the honour to inform you that, in my opinion, the distribution of the British forces in the North China Command is now an extremely faulty one, and I will endeavour to show, in this despatch, how their efficiency may be increased in conjunction with a net annual saving of 2,600).
2. These forces consist of two Indian battalions and half a British battalion, besides 50 garrison artillerymen, and about 140 mounted infantry drawn from the two Indian battalions.
3. These troops are stationed at Tien-tsin, Peking, Shanhaikuan, Tongshan, and Lutai, all of which places are on the railway from Peking to Shanhaikuan, the head- quarters of the command being at Tien-tsin. Peking is 80 miles from Tien-tain, while Lutai, Tongshan and Shanhaikuan are 58, 88, and 192 miles distant from Tien-tsin respectively.
4. The above distribution was decided upon prior to 1903, when there were 8,400 foreign troops in this Province of Chih-li, and it was then a very suitable one, because other important points along the railway were held by detachments of foreign troops other than British. Since 1903, however, the Germans have sent some 900 troops to Tsing-tau, their base within easy reach of Chih-li, the Italians have repatriated nearly 500 men, and the Russians 300, a total of 1,700, so that the foreign forces now occupying the Province of Chih-li number almost exactly 6,500 of all ranks, exclusive, of course, of followers.
[2418 e-3]