[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL,
C
[September 12.]
Sharon 1. Arc2 3
[33181]
No. 1.
Acting Consul Rose to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received September 12.) (No. 14. Consular.) Sir,
Tengyueh, August 10, 1910.
I HAVE the honour to enclose copy of a despatch which I have to-day addressed to His Majesty's chargé d'affaires at Peking on the subject of affairs on the Burmab- China frontier, with special reference to the appointment of a new taotai and the official attitude in regard to the conduct of international business.
Enclosure I in No. 1.
I have, &c.
ARCHIBALD ROSE.
(No. 27.) Sir,
Acting Consul Rose to Mr. Max Müller,
I HAVE the honour to report that the Acting Taotai Keng Pao-kuei took over
Tengyueh, August 10, 1910. the seals of office at Tengyueh on the 16th of last month, He had previously been stationed in Szechuan, had spent seventeen days at Yungchang as prefect, and was promptly promoted to act at this post on the death of the Taotai Liu. He is a very young and apparently an intelligent and active officer, and I am not without hope that frontier affairs will show some progress after the period of inactivity which marked the rule of his predecessor. He is, however, inexperienced in international affairs, and has commenced his frontier campaign by much unnecessary bluster and several unfortunate mistakes, which I have thought it well to expose in the hope of ensuring a sound and efficient policy in the future.
I have already reported that Chin Shu-sheng, the intendant at Tengyuch during 1908, has been elevated to the post of judicial commissioner at Yunnan-fu. It will be within your memory that this taotai marked his term of office by the publication of a scurrilous and violently anti-British pamphlet (reference, Tengyueh No. 41 and Peking No. 6 of 1908), which apparently found sufficient favour with his Government to ensure his present high office. He has not failed to retain his interest in frontier affairs, and he has provided the new taotai with his staff, a circumstance which will scarcely assist in creating a reasonable and amicable atmosphere about the Tengyueh Yamen. In view of the protest which was made by His Majesty's Minister against the astonishing action of Taotai Chin, the Chinese Government would show a spirit of conciliation and a desire for harmonious relations on this frontier if this officer were removed to some post where he would be free from relations with the officials of Great Britain; his present position of power and the direct influence which be exercises upon every appointment in this district is opposed to all hope of closer relations, and the more friendly of the officials, such as the Frontier Deputy Chao, do not disguise their alarm lest they give offence to him by any appearance of British sympathies.
It was a constant practice of the late Tuotai Liu to seek advice in international affairs from outside sources; the Taotai Chin also realised the value of this factor in obtaining information in regard to Burmah affairs, as instanced in the salt and opiumu cases reported to you in previous despatches, and it is to be regretted that the now taotai has already allowed the same influences to intervene. At a recent interview he took the opportunity to raise a protest against one of our frontier posts at Lweje, claiming that its position within 10 miles of the frontier was a breach of treaty stipulations; bis information in this instance was fortunately incorrect, and I thought it well to address to him a somewhat peremptory despatch on the subject, in the hope of avoiding a recurrence of such incidents in the future. The Chinese froutier officials show a difficult and untrustworthy spirit in meeting their questions, as will be
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