2
The new President has to-day held his first audience of the Diplomatic Body, the congratulatory address read by my French colleague containing an allusion to the prospect of China speedily entering the war, to which President sympathetically replied.
(Copy to Tokyo.)
I have, &c.
B. ALSTON.
!
:
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA
CONFIDENTIAL,
255
[October 9.]
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Storio 3.
7053
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[181622]
Sir,
No. 1.
Foreign Office to Army Council,
REC REG 8 FEB 18
Foreign Office, October 9, 1917. I AM directed by the Secretary of State to enclose herewith, for communication to the Army Council, copy of a despatch and its enclosures from His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Peking in regard to the interruption of railway communications on the Peking Shanhaikuan line caused by the movements of Chinese troops in the recent political crisis.
In this connection the following suggestions are made by Mr. Alston:-
1. That a formal protest should be lodged with the Chinese Government against the action of the Chinese military authorities in damaging the railway, and thus interfering with the free movement of foreign troops on the line in contravention of the Protocol of 1901 and the Railway Agreement of 1902.
2. That, in order to ensure that communications will not be cut and that an effectual control of the railway will be maintained in any similar emergency in future, the British garrison in North China should be strengthened in accordance with the recommendations of Lieutenant-Colonel Wright, the officer commanding at Tien-tain, and Lieutenant Colonel Robertson, the military attaché at Peking.
As far as the military aspect of the question is concerned, it is not within the province of this Department to offer an opinion, but, regarded from a political point of view, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Balfour to observe that the situation as gauged from the correspondence does not, in his opinion, justify action on the lines suggested, and that, in view of China's entry into the war on the side of the Entente, the moment is inopportune to lodge a formal protest with the Chinese Government, who, at a time of the gravest embarrassment to themselves, apparently did all that they could reasonably be expected to do in the circumstances to fulfil their obligations under the protocol. Further, even admitting that His Majesty's Government have good reason to protest, and would be justified in insisting on the appointment of military co-directore and deputy co-directors as contemplated by the Railway Agreement, the question arises whether the Army Council have officers available for the purpose. It should be borne in mind that the military traffic which they had intended to regulate under the Railway Agreement is the transport of foreign troops, artillery, stores, &c., for the Legation guards, and that the volume of such traffic has been very considerably reduced since the beginning of the war.
For the reasons given above, Mr. Balfour is not incliued to give his sauction to the proposed protest, but before communicating definite instructions on the subject to Peking, he will be glad to learn the views of the Army Council on the suggestions which have been put forward by the military authorities in China, and the extent to which they can, if necessary, be met, having regard to the urgent demands on our resources in Europe.
I am, &c.
EYRE A. CROWE,
[2737-8]