This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government
2
of, the Chinese authorities; that the only joint investigation demanded by the Viceroy was that provided for by the rules for joint investigation made under the Tien-tsin Treaty, and that to this they could not agree, inasmuch as those rules only apply to business connected with the Custom-house, and that there was not even a prima facie case against the ship of any offence against the Customs. Moreover, that the rules in question (Rule 5) preclude the appellant from claiming indemnity for the seizure, to which indemnity the Japanese Government consider the ship is justly entitled.
The Portuguese Government of Macao hold that the "Tatsu Maru II" was seized in Portuguese waters; that the island called in the chart Koho Island (locally known as Kwo Lu Wan), 24 miles from which the seizure took place, was Portuguese territory long before the signing of the Protocol and Treaty of 1887, which maintained the statu quo ante of Macao and its dependencies; that at that date Portugal had long had a fort and picket of soldiers on the island, and has now in addition a leper hospital there. I have been shown a despatch dated some three years back from the Viceroy Tsen asking for the extradition of a criminal said to be in concealment on the Island of Kwo Lu Wan.
The Macao Government therefore consider that the seizure of the "Tatsu Maru II" constitutes a violation of their territorial waters, and have protested accordingly. They further aver that the rifles and ammunition were legally imported under permit by a licensed arms dealer, and that, in accordance with ordinary practice, a Government launch, having the Assistant Harbour-master and a file of soldiers on board, had towed a lighter to the ship, but tides being unfavourable, had withdrawn for a time, when the seizure took place. On returning to the ship, access to it was denied.
I have been to considerable trouble to verify the above statements as far as possible, and believe them to be in the main correctly given. I have not, however, been able to verify a statement of the Chinese authorities as to an excess of arms over the amount given in the ship's manifest, which was 1,500 rifles. From the fact that when I applied to the Viceroy for delivery of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's coal, he replied that he had referred my demand to the Commissioner of Customs, it would appear that his (the Viceroy's) action has all along been guided by Commissioner King's advice, which does not seem to have been always judicious. As usual, the native papers are raising a great outcry, and a boycott of Japanese trade is freely discussed. It would not present any great difficulties here.
I append a small sketch map of the scene of the seizure of the "Tatsu Maru II."*
I have, &c. (Signed) R. W. MANSFIELD.
* Not reproduced.
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AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[13290]
No. 1.
REC
582
[April 18.62€ MAY 08
SECTION 4.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received April 18.) (No. 102.)
Peking, March 2, 1908. Sir,
I HAVE the honour to inclose copy of a despatch received from His Majesty's Acting Consul-General at Ch'engtu reporting on the journey of Mr. Cecil Clementi, of the Hong Kong Civil Service, from Russian Turkestan vid Kashgar and Hami to the Province of Kansuh, and thence southward to Szechuan. Mr. Clementi is a traveller of experience, whose observations are worthy of attention.
I should mention that the Belgian Syndicate referred to as being represented at Lan-chou by a M. Splingaert is no doubt a concern dealing with the contracts which I reported upon in my despatches Nos. 270 and 274 of the 7th and 19th June, 1907.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. N. JORDAN,
(No. 1. Confidential.)
Inclosure in No. 1.
Acting Consul-General Fox to Sir J. Jordan.
Ch'engtu, February 3, 1908.
I HAVE the honour to report that Mr. Cecil Clementi, Assistant Colonial Secretary at Hong Kong, arrived here on the 18th January, on his return from furlough in Europe, having made a long and interesting journey through Central Asia.
Mr. Clementi travelled by train from Moscow to Andijan, in Russian Turkestan, thence he continued his journey on horseback over the Alai Mountains to Kashgar, in Chinese Turkestan. From Kashgar he travelled to Turfan and Hami, vid Aksu, Kuchar, and Korla, and so across the Gobi Desert to Ngansi-chou. He entered China proper at Su-chou, from where he rode through the Province of Kansu to Lan-chou, the capital. From Lan-chou, he came to Ch'in-chou, thence proceeding south and entering Szechuan by the Pai Shui Ho (or Chialing River) at Kuang Yuan Hsien.
From Andijan to Kashgar, Mr. Clementi made thirteen stages; from Kashgar to Ch'engtu, 135 stages. The distance between the two latter places is, according to Chinese reckoning, 12,061 li, say 3,000 miles. Mr. Clementi, who travelled alone, engaging mafoos and mule drivers at various places en route, carried with him a set of surveying instruments which have enabled him to make a careful plane table survey of the road from Kashgar to Ch'engtu.
In Chinese territory, Mr. Clementi, who speaks "Mandarin" fluently, experienced no difficulties of any kind, being everywhere well received and hospitably entertained by the officials and people. In Russian Turkestan, on the other hand, the local authorities made a determined attempt to prevent him continuing his journey, although he carried a British Foreign Office passport which had been “viséd” by the Russian Consul-General in London. He was, in fact, turned back a few stages beyond Andijan, and obliged to wait some days at that place while the Foreign Office in St. Petersburgh and the British Ambassador were being communicated with. Eventually, the Governor of Andíjan received orders to allow Mr. Clementi to proceed. He tells me that he was surprised at the strong anti-British feeling displayed by most of the Russian officials with whom he came in contact, which he attributes to their conviction that the British Government assisted Japan in the late war. One official plainly told him that he would do his best to prevent any Englishman from entering China through Russian territory.
Mr. Clementi found a Russian Consul and a branch of the Russo-Chinese Bank at Kashgar; there are, he informs me, Russian Consuls stationed at Urumtsi, Kuldja, and Uliasutai. The British representative at Kashgar is no longer permitted to [2921 8-4]
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