CO882-6 — Page 107

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

6 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

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No. 3.

MR. BALFOUR to SIR F. LASCELLES.

TELEGRAM.

Foreign Office, April 6, 1898. With reference to your telegram of the 4th instant, there is no objection to the declaration in the form suggested by Baron Richthofen, on condition that the words "in that province" are struck out, and the following substituted for them, "between Wei-hai Wei and any part of the Province of Shantung.'

This alteration is made because the question of Wei-hai Wei is thereby kept separate from the general question of the interests of Germany and Great Britain in Shantung, there being no connection between them. In my opinion, no difficulty should be expe- rienced in dealing with the second of these questions, but it should form the subject of a separate negotiation.

This has been explained to Count Hatzfeldt, from whom 1 received a visit on the 5th instant.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

,

No. 4

SIR F. LASCELLES to HERR VON BÜLOW.

Berlin, April 20, 1898. In accordance with instructions which I have received from my "Government, I have the honour to make the following declaration to your Excellency :-

England formally declares that, in establishing herself at Wei-hai Wei, she has no intention of injuring or contesting the interests of Germany in the Province of Shantung, or of creating difficulties for her in that province. It is especially understood that England will not construct any mailroad communication from Wei-hai Wei, and the district leased therewith, into the interior of the province.

No. 5.

I avail, &c.,

FRANK C. LASCELLES.

SIR C. MACDONALD to the MARQUESS OF SALISBURY. (Extract.)

MY LORD,

(Received May 30, 1898.)

Peking, April 16, 1898. On the 28th March, in obedience to the instructions contained in Your Lordship's telegram of the 25th March (which I did not receive till the 27th), I informed the Yamên that, in the view of Her Majesty's Government, the balance of power in the Gulf of Pechili had been so seriously disturbed by the lease to Russia of Port Arthur as a naval station that it must be redressed by a lease of Wei-hai Wai to, Great Britain ou similar

terms.

The Yamen then returned to their plea that China must have a naval station of her own. I said she might have two if she could persuade Russia to give up Port Arthur, for she could then retain Wei-hai Wei as well.

They then asked whether the opening of Wei-hai Wei as a Treaty port, with special facilities for British ships, would not be sufficient. I answered that we did not want the place as a commercial port, but as a naval base as a counterpoise to Port Arthur.

14495.

No. 6.

DIRECTOR OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE to COLONIAL office.

(Received June 29, 1898.)

Intelligence Division,

18, Queen Anne's Gate, S.W., 29th June, 1898. THE Director of Military Intelligence has the honour to forward to the Under Secre tary of State for the Colonies, for Mr. Chamberlain's information, copies of memoranda† respecting Wei-hai Wei, which he has lately submitted to the Secretary of State for War.

• No. 2.

↑ Extract from first enclosure only printed,

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Lord Lansdowne has despatched Colonel Lewis, R.E, an expert in the design of defence works, and also a survey party under Captain Penrose, R.E., who is an expert in submarine mining defence, to Wei-hai Wei; and the Admiralty have ordered a surveying vessel to proceed there.

It is the intention that Colonel Lewis, after examining the locality, and if necessary conferring with Her Majesty's Minister at Peking, should return home and report, leaving the survey party to execute its work.

It is understood that negotiations as to the boundary of the territory to be acquired are now in progress. Meanwhile the port has been taken over by the Naval Commander- in-Chief.

It is presumed that Her Majesty's Government will not come to a definite decision as to the points specified on the first page of the first enclosure, until Sir C. MacDonald has effected a settlement with the Tsungli Yamên, and Colonel Lewis has furnished his report, and the Admiralty have decided upon naval requirements.

For the present therefore, the new acquisition will be under the Naval Commander. in-Chief.

Whatever may be the nature of the provisional administration, Sir John Ardagh conceives that, sooner or later, Wei-hai Wei will come under the Colonial Office, and he therefore ventures to call attention to the final paragraph of the first enclosure, and to the fourth paragraph of the second enclosure, and to suggest that the question of future administration be now considered.

(Confidential.)

(Extract.)

Enclosure in No. 6.

WEI-HAI WEI.

In the event of Her Majesty's Government deciding upon an effective occupation of Wei-hai Wei it will become necessary :-

(1.) To lay down the territorial limits of the acquisition.

(2.) To determine in principle the Imperial objects which it is to subserve. (3.) To consider the nature of the probable attacks to which it may be liable, and (4.) The works, armament, and garrison requisite to give it an adequate degree

of security against them.

(5.) To ascertain in general terms the nature and situation of the naval establish- ments which the Admiralty may deen necessary for the utilisation of the [port] as a naval base or coaling station; and

(6.) Such non-military considerations including civil government, administration,

trade, and commerce as may appear advisable.

These matters affect several public departments, viz., Foreign Office, Admiralty, War Office, and Colonial Office, and the question of expenditure also concerns the Treasury.

1. Limit of Territory.

Two analogous precedents exist the acquisition of Kiao-chou by Germany, and of Port Arthur and Talienwan by Russia, Another may shortly be expected if France occupies a port in the Lei-chou Peninsula.

Germany divides her soquisition into two classes :--

Leased Territory-920 square kilometres, of which 550 square kilometres are

formed by the water superfices of the harbour; and

Sphere of Interest—7,100 square kilometres of land, bounded on the sea side by lines connecting several smail islands; and on the land side by a circle drawn with a radius of about 66 kilometres (= 41 statute miles - 36' sen miles).

Of the precise boundary of the Bussian acquisition we have no accurate information, but there can be no doubt that the leased territory will comprise the whole of the southern portion of the Liso Tung Peninsula, from Chin-chou past Talienwan and Port Arthur, an area of about 1,400 square kilometres of land, as against the 370 square kilo- metres of land which the Germans have leased at Kino-chou. On the other hand, Russia has specified for no ostensible sphere of interest, and has probably no desire to embarrass

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