GO.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[16871]
No. 1.
279
[May 24.]
SECTION 1.
1
Mr. Ivan Chen to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received May 24.)
Your Excellency,
Chinese Legation, May 23, 1907. ON the instruction I received from the Wai-wu Pu, I have the honour to inform your Excellency that in the various provinces of China there have been recently shown signs of great activity among secret conspirators and agitators, and cases of arms and ammunition secretly imported from abroad have been seized at several places by the Imperial Customs authorities.
As this constitutes a very positive evidence of the widespread movement among the enemies of peace, it is a matter of regret and anxiety to the Imperial Government, as they are well aware that, for reasons commercial and political, the maintenance of tranquillity in every part of China is a matter of paramount importance to her.
Besides issuing rigorous orders to all the high provincial authorities to take effective measures against such secret importation of arms into China, the Imperial Government instruct me to invite your Excellency's attention to this matter, and express their sincere hope that His Majesty's Government will be able to see their way of co-operating with them in their efforts in that direction by taking such measures as they think feasible, so as to frustrate any attempt of that kind which may be made outside China by such conspirators or their accomplices, and thereby safeguard the common interests of our two countries.
I have, &c. (Signed) IVAN CHEN.
I
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