[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.] 511
C.O.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[4903]
No. 1.
7798
[February 6.] -
RECE
SECTION REC 4 MAR 09
(No. 562.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received February 6, 1909.)
Peking, December 16, 1908. I HAVE the honour to inclose, with reference to my despatch No. 508 of the 11th instant, copy of a further despatch from His Majesty's Consul at Chinan, dealing with the boycott of trade at Tsingtau and the anti-German agitation in Shantung.
Attempts were made to carry out the requirements of the Wharf and Godown Ordinance in ways which would not be obnoxious to the Chinese, but the latter, from refusing to ship goods in foreign steamers unless they were guaranteed complete immunity from Government interference went on to boycotting the Great Harbour altogether, and eventually the Chinese Chamber of Commerce combined with the Shantung guild at Shanghac in a scheme to suspend the import and export trade until the Ordinance was repealed. At this stage the German authorities, realizing that the prosperity of the port was seriously attacked, appointed a Committee of merchants to negotiate with the Chamber of Commerce, and, according to the latest information, they have been compelled to rescind the Ordinance and to give way on every point in dispute.
As Mr. Giles points out, the surrender of the German authorities in this matter is of grave import to foreign interests generally. Though of late years the boycott has at different times been employed to bring pressure to bear on the American and Japanese Governments, it had, until the question of the German Ordinance arose, shown itself to be a double-edged weapon of doubtful utility. The success achieved at Tsingtau cannot be disguised, and apart from the difficulties which it may create for the Germans in Shantung, there is small reason to doubt that it will increase the ranks, already numerous in China, of those who look upon the boycott as a convenient and safe form of hostility, especially when a knotty international problem has to be solved.
I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Inclosure in No. 1.
(No. 20.) Sir,
Acting Consul Giles to Sir J. Jordan.
Chinan, December 1, 1908. IN continuation of my despatches Nos. 16 and 18, I have the honour to report on further developments in Tsingtau and in Shantung generally in connection with the prevailing anti-German feeling. I am indebted for much of the information in this despatch to the Consular Agent at Tsingtau, Mr. Eckford, who has kept me informed of the progress of the boycott directed against the Hamburg-Amerika Steamship Company.
In my despatch No. 18, mentioned that this Company had been reduced to holding out the inducement of half rates, but that even on those terms they could obtain no cargo from the Chinese. They finally went so far as to offer free freight, in the hope of thereby breaking the boycott, but again without any success. Foreign firms who continued to ship by their steamers were charged the rates hitherto in force, the Company itself defraying all the wharfage and godown dues. On the other hand, the rival shipping agents, Messrs. Siemssen and Co., endeavoured to meet the views of the Chinese merchants; they loaded and discharged their steamers in the outer harbour by means of cargo-boats, thus avoiding payment of the obnoxious wharfage dues. The distance was very great, however, and the risks were too heavy for this practice to commend itself to many shippers. On one occasion a cargo-boat with 200 bags of refined sugar capsized on the journey between the ship and the shore, and became a total loss,
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