[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
228
AFFAIRS OF CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL.
(19176]
No. 1.
[May 30.19141
SECTION 4
Rec 23 JUN 10
I
Mr. Max Müller to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received May 30.)
(No. 151.) Sir,
Peking, May 12, 1910. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch from Iis Majesty's consul at Hangchow respecting certain articles of a violent anti-foreign character which have appeared in the local Chinese press.
Dr. Main, whose name is mentioned in the translation of the newspaper article enclosed by Mr. Savage, is a well-known medical missionary, and head of a large native hospital at Hangchow, who has devoted his life and fortune to tending the Chinese, and it shows to what depths of scurrilous abuse the less responsible Chinese newspapers have sunk when a man, whose services to the Chinese nation entitle him to their gratitude and praise, is singled out to be the object of unmerited libel.
That the anti-foreign feeling at Hangchow hardly requires encouragement from the press to manifest itself is shown by the recent anti-Japanese riots in that city, to which reference is made by Mr. Savage in his despatch enclosed. From an account of the occurrence furnished to me by the Japanese Legation it appears that the riots started as usual from the most trifling cause-in this case a dispute between some Japanese sweetmeat sellers and their Chinese customers. The authorities promptly declared that they were unable to protect the Japanese sweetmeat shops or the lives of their occupants, and the Japanese consul thereupon agreed that these shops should be closed, and that their owners should go for safety to Shanghae until the agitation against them had subsided. Emboldened by this success, and thinking no doubt to use this concession as a lover to obtain the exclusion of all foreigners from the native city, the Chinese authorities then requested the Japanese consul to order all the Japanese in Hangchow to leave the city on the twofold ground that they had no right to be there, and that they could not be protected, and they announced their intention of sending them away under police escort if they had not left within twenty-four hours. The Japanese consul at once referred the matter by telegraph to Peking, and the Japanese Minister requested the Wai-wu Pu to see to it that the Japanese residing in Hangchow were not molested, and that adequate compensation was paid to the sufferers by the riots. I understand that the Wai-wu Pu advanced the familiar contention that the right of residence of foreigners was limited to the settlement, and that the usual argument took place on that point. The Japanese Minister has, of course, refused to give way, and the matter is still under discussion.
The agitation in Chekiang would appear to be part of a general plan of campaign to restrict the residential rights of foreigners to the settlements, and it would seem that the authorities and gentry of other cities are only waiting to see whether the Hanchow movement succeeds before starting a similar agitation themselves.
According to a despatch from His Majesty's consul at Nanking the Shanghae native press declares that the Japanese Government have ordered the Japanese to leave Hangchow, and draws attention to the number of Japanese who, it declares, carry on business in Nangking, in defiance of the treaty prohibitions. The local authorities are exhorted to take warning from the recent event at Hanchow and not to allow this question to be lost sight of.
On the 7th instant I received a telegram from His Majesty's consul at Hangchow, paraphrase of which I have the honour to enclose. I at once took steps to bring the contents to the notice of the Wai-wu Pu, pointing out the illegality of interfering with the right of foreigners, and especially of missionaries, to lease premises in Hangchow, and requesting that the Governor should be instructed to take every possible measure to prevent the outbreak of anti-foreign disturbances. I have since heard that the desired instructions have been telegraphed to the governor.
I have, &c.
W. G. MAX MÜLLER.
[2751 gg-4]