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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Governmert.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
39126
20.1 379
CONFIDENTIAL,
(12742]
No. 1.
Rig 6 NOL 07 SECTION 5.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey-- Received April 20.)
(No. 111.) Sir,
Peking, March 4, 1907. I HAVE the honour to forward to you herewith a summary of events which have occurred in China since the date of my despatch No. 74 of the 6th ultimo, and concerning which no separate despatches have been furnished.
I beg to draw your special attention to the portion of the inclosure headed Nanking, with reference to my despatch No. 101 of the 28th February, on the subject of the present tendency to place increased power in the hands of the Manchus.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Monthly Summary of Events in China.
Canton.
HIS Majesty's Consul General reported on the 19th January respecting a projected American boycott. On the 28th December the local Boycott Committee received a cable from Chinese residents in California saying that the President's Message contained no reference to any amelioration of the treatment accorded to Chinese in the United States, and that unless the boycott were renewed, all the results of the previous one would be nullified. Considerable feeling was aroused, and a meeting was summoned at which it was decided to put in motion all the usual methods of agitation, placards, pamphlets, processions, &c. The local authorities, however, issued a strongly worded Proclamation prohibiting agitation, and meetings were forbidden.
The newspaper offices were informed that they must not print the boycott posters which had appeared.
Chinan-fu (Shantung). '
His Majesty's Consul reports that no real improvement has occurred in the condition of the Tsaochow-fu district of the province. Missionaries describe the situation as being even worse than during the summer of 1906, and are of opinion that the country has never been so overrun with bandits since the Taiping rebellion as at the present time. The Governor claims that the brigands in Tsanchow have been effectually scattered, but His Majesty's Consul is of opinion that the gangs have only been driven by the necessity for cover to resort to hilly regions where they can entrench themselves.
Kiukiang.
With the exception of the disturbance at Ping Hsiang on the Hunan border, which did not in any way affect any other parts of the province of Kiangsi, a state of peace existed throughout the quarter ended the 31st December, 1906. Despite the absence of rain and the high price of rice, the people showed no signs of discontent.
With reference to the Fenghsin missionary case, reported on to the Foreign Office in despatch No. 50 of the 29th January, His Majesty's Consul reports that his action taken has had the desired effect, and that Protestants and Catholics are now at peace. The Consul's prompt action seems to have prevented a riot, which would almost certainly have involved loss of life and property, and trouble in the subsequent Settlement,
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