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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
37
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
RECO
[May 8.]
Reet 16 JUN 11
CONFIDENTIAL.
SECTION 4.
[17265]
(No. 160.) Sir,
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received May 8.)
Peking April 18, 1911. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 443 of the 30th December last, in which you were good enough to request me to furnish my observations and the views of His Majesty's consular officers concerned on the schemes prepared at the instigation of the naval commander in-chief, China, for the defence of the foreign settlements at the treaty ports on the Yang-tsze.
1 have the honour to transmit herewith the reports which His Majesty's consuls have sent to me in response to my invitation.”
Without entering here into the details of the various schemes of which the consuls, assisted by such advice from His Majesty's naval and military officers as is at their disposal, are the best judges, I propose in this despatch to summarise very briefly the position which the plans have reached at the several ports from an international point
of view.
The scheme forwarded by His Majesty's consul at Chinkiang is based on a former one drawn up in 1908. There are no other foreign consuls in the port, but it has the approval of His Majesty's consul, the commissioner of customs, and other prominent residents, both British and foreign. It is devised primarily for the temporary defence of the British concession while the non-combatants are being removed to a place of safety.
At Hankow there were already separate plans for the defence of each concession, and in August last a combined scheme was, apparently at the suggestion of the German consul-general, drawn up and approved by the municipal authorities, Mr. Goffe gives no details, but cousiders that the arrangements worked well during the recent riots.
The scheme communicated by Major Evans, R.M.L.I., to His Majesty's consul at Nanking is really not a defence scheme at all, but consists merely of practical suggestions as to the best way for foreigners to escape from the city in the event of trouble. Mr. Goffe appears to have discussed the question with his colleagues last year, but no combined scheme has been devised, and Mr. Consul Wilkinson is of opinion that such would not be practicable, as the few foreigners who reside in Nanking are scattered over a wide area.
At Wuhu practically the only two Powers concerned are ourselves and the Americans. A scheme for the defence and relief of the foreign settlements was worked out, at the request of Vice-Admiral Sir A. L. Winsloe, and with the assistance of the commanding officers of His Majesty's ships in port at the time, by a committee which met for the purpose on the 3rd February, 1911. Copies have been forwarded to Sir A. Winsloe, to the American consul at Nanking, and to the American Senior Naval Officer at Shanghai.
At Kiukiang the vice-consul for Russia, the only other Power besides Great Britain represented there, has been already approached, and has expressed his readiness to participate in any combined scheme. As explained, however, by Mr. King, in this case also it will be one of safety rather than defence.
The only discordant note comes from Amoy, where the German residents stated that they could agree to no arrangements which showed a want of confidence in the local Chinese. The German consul, however, is in favour of the scheme which was drawn up by Major Evans and accepted unanimously by a full meeting of the consular body.
A perusal of the reports shows therefore that Elis Majesty's consuls have already taken their foreign colleagues into their confidence in regard to the proposed schemes, and that the latter appear in each case to be ready to co-operate.
I see no objection to the general principles underlying the scheme. Although the exchange of views has been conducted as far as possible in secrecy, and has not,
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