ན་
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matters, but fears to offend their prejudices; he seems to have made every effort short of compulsion to persuade the sellers to accept the balance.
The same cannot be said of the customs taotai, who is the thorn in the consul's side.
In view of the general situation, I do not think the consul intends to fence in the land, hoping that the threat, backed up by the promise of protection from Peking, will persuade the governor to compel the sellers to complete the sale.
I will here mention a few incidents of the last few days that will give an idea of the general feeling in Changsha since the rumours of the partition of China have been circulated.
1. An appeal was made to the governor by a teacher in the Yale Mission School on behalf of about 3,000 students, to issue arms to them for the defence of Hunan against foreign aggression,
The petition was refused, and the governor had enquiries made into the man's antecedents, with a view of punishing him if unsatisfactory.
2. A meeting was held on Sunday, the 12th December, in the Chia T'ai Fu Tze, called by members of the Human Representative Assembly. At this meeting several thousand people were said to be present. Quoting from the account given to a missionary by one Teng Shih Liu, of the Government Bank, who was present :---
"So passionate was the crowd that the man who called the meeting did not dare to speak, so the meeting was addressed by students of the Law School, who stirred up a lot of feeling. The result of the meeting was that they decided to destroy the nationals of whatever nation first made a warlike demonstration against this province, and to protect all others.'
3. A man, of what status I do not know, deliberately cut off his finger and indited a letter with the blood that flowed, and sent it by Mr. Lo Ch'ieh-a member of the Provincial House of Representatives--to Poking, to urge the assembling together of the National Parliament at as early a date as possible, in order to give expression to the national feeling against foreigners.
It is said that this martyr [?] is to be bambooed, by order of the governor, for "disturbing the peace and inciting people to develop a spirit of rowdyism."
4. In conclusion, I am personally of opinion that whatever the future may bring forth, no immediate trouble need be anticipated unless there be official connivance- which is in the highest degree improbable, and that if the misplaced patriotism of the students, due to their ignorant or wilful belief in the rumours of the partition of China, carefully fostered by the gentry, were to expend itself in anything more serious than noisy talk, the situation could and would be promptly met by the authorities.
C. H. WOODWARD,
Lieutenant and Commander.
His Majesty's ship "Nightingale," January 1, 1910.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[10564]
Sir,
No. 1.
0.0.
[March 29.]
SECTION 5.
2550
¡RECT (REG: 28 APR 10
India Office to Foreign Office. (Received March 29.)
India Office, March 26, 1910. WITH reference to your letter dated the 15th March, 1910, forwarding copy of a telegram from His Majesty's chargé d'affaires at Peking as to encroachments by Chinese tribesmen at Pien-ma on the N'Maikha section of the Burmah-Yunnan frontier, I am directed to inform you that Viscount Morley desires strongly to support Mr. Max Müller's proposal, that His Majesty's consul at Tengyuch should be authorised to proceed to Lampung in order to ascertain the facts of the case.
Attention is invited to the papers on this subject communicated to the Foreign Office on the 16th March, 1910, and to the Viceroy's telegram of the 22nd instant, copy of which is enclosed. In Lord Morley's opinion, Mr. Max Müller's proposal is preferable to that of the Government of India, provided that the visit of His Majesty's consul to the scene can be paid at once. If, however, it is necessary to postpone it until after the rains, it is for consideration whether some such tour as was suggested by Sir E. Grey in Mr. Langley's letter dated the 3rd November, 1908, might not be advisable in November next.
I am, &c.
(Telegraphic.) P.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Government of India to Viscount Morley.
ED. S. MONTAGU.
March 22, 1910.
RAID on Burmah-China frontier. Please refer to despatch dated the 24th ultimo from consul at Tengyuch to Foreign Office, and to papers forwarded with letter dated the 10th ultimo from Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign Department. Reply has been received from Tengyuch Taotai, stating that he cannot recognise that there has been a violation of the frontier, Ipimaw or l'ienma being in Chinese territory. It is believed by Burmah Government that raid by Chinese is merely a preliminary movement on their part, and that they may proceed to occupy the unadministered tract in question, and so create a situation of much difficulty, unless effective action is taken to extend British control of the tract. Raided villages lie, beyond doubt, to the west of the frontier which was laid down in the note addressed to Prince Ching on the 1st May, 1906, by His Majesty's Minister at Peking. Until after rains it is not practicable to tour in country. In view of the necessity of safeguarding our rights and checking activity of Chinese on frontier between China and Burmah, Burmah Government recommend that instructions shall be sent to Sir J. Jordan to protest strongly at Peking at an early date, and to insist on orders being sent to taotai to withdraw his reply to the consul, and to punish raiders. Advisability of such action, which would only rake up old issues, seems to us doubtful, and it would, in our opinion, be preferable that arrangements for a tour in November next should be made. Our position must, we consider, be damaged if action is deferred. We have been appealed to by the people. Aggressiveness of the Chinese is clear. Subject to your concurrence, Burmah Government will be requested to submit proposals.
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