CO129-321 - Public Offices & Others - 1903 — Page 95

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Ground occupied by Great Britain.

1. A plot of ground at Hsin Ho belonging to the railway.

Note—No mention is made of Hsin Ho in the Protocol as a point of occupation.

2. Site of fort on the north bank of river occupied in conjunction with Italians, and agreed upon that it would be given back in conjunction.

These two places should be given back forthwith.

1. Old camp of 20 odd mou 4 li north-east of Lu Tai,

2. Land and houses of the Mining Company at Tongshan, 2 li away from the railway station,

3. One barrack building at Ch'inwangtao.

4. The site of the furthest fort at Shanhaikwan.

(Occupied with the Russians. The fort has been razed, but the barracks remain.) The above should be considered as lent, and handed back when evacuated.

Railway Office at Shanhaikwan, the Yeh Hsing Kung Kuan, or Yeh Family Guild House—a dwelling house.

For the above rent has been given, and they should be handed back when evacuated.

Sir,

Inclosure 2 in No. 3.

General Creagh to Mr. Townley.

Tien-tsin, March 3, 1903.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 25th February, 1903, with inclosures, regarding the restoration to the Chinese Government of certain localities at present occupied by the British troops in North China and to reply as follows:-

2. I quite concur in Prince Ch'ing's remarks as to our rights to these localities, but I must demur, as far as I am concerned, to the remark that his Excellency Yuan Shih Kai "has frequently suggested any restoration of land to me, which I have refused to give up." Such is an error. With the exception of a small piece of land at Sinho shortly to be given up, my troops retain nothing they are not entitled to hold by the Protocol, and I feel sure his Excellency Yuan Shih Kai will agree with me in this.

3. With reference to the list of "ground occupied by Great Britain," I would remark as follows:-

(i). I have given up everything at Sinho, except one godown belonging to the railway, and certain buildings erected by us, which have been retained temporarily with the consent of the local Chinese authorities.

As Sinho Post is now being evacuated, these will be handed over to the Railway Administration in the course of the next few days. The evacuation would have been carried out before but for the severity of the weather, and that the local Chinese authorities had acquiesced in our temporary occupation of the post.

(ii) The remarks in your letter regarding our occupation of the site of the north-west fort at Taku are quite correct. I am keeping men there at some inconvenience to myself, and shall be delighted to withdraw, as soon as his Excellency Yuan Shih Kai can make arrangements to take over.

(iii) My occupation of the old camp at Lu Tai is justified under the Protocol as well as that of the land and buildings at Tongshan. The latter consists of only one building belonging to the Mining Company, and a plot of land, which I believe is the property of a Syndicate of Chinese owners. On this land we have built barracks.

(iv.) I do not understand the reference to a barrack building at Chinwangtao. The only house occupied by us there is one that has been built by us on land belonging, I believe, to a Chinese subject, and which I hope to be able to give up shortly.

(v.) As regards the barracks at Fort 1 at Shanhaikwan, of which we are in joint occupation with the Russians, I shall be ready to hand them over directly the Russians do so.

(vi.) The only buildings at Shanhaikwan occupied by us besides the ones mentioned in (v) are: (1) the Railway Yamên, (2) the Yeh Hsing Kung Kuan, and (3) the Sauho Chan, for all three of which rent is being paid to their owners.

4. I need hardly state that all the land and buildings mentioned in sub-heads (iii), (iv), (v), and (vi) of the preceding paragraph are held under the Protocol, and will of course be returned to the Chinese on evacuation.

I have, &c. (Signed)

Your Highness,

Inclosure 3 in No. 3.

Mr. Townley to Prince Ch'ing.

O. M. CREAGH,

March 12, 1903. AS I had the honour to inform your Highness on the 26th ultimo, I transmitted to the General Officer Commanding British Troops at Tien-tsin copy of your Highness' note of the 24th ultimo, regarding the occupation of certain places by British troops between Tien-tsin and Shanhaikwan.

General Creagh, in replying to my despatch, points out that there is no land occupied by British troops the restoration of which has been refused by himself when asked to evacuate it by the Viceroy. With the exception of a small piece of land at Hsinho, shortly to be given up, his troops retain nothing they are not entitled to hold by the Protocol.

At Hsinho everything has been given up except a godown belonging to the Railway, and certain buildings erected by the British troops, which have been retained temporarily with the consent of the local Chinese authorities.

As Hsinho Post is now being evacuated, these will be handed over to the Railway Administration in a few days.

With regard to the occupation of the site of the north-west fort at Taku, the General will be only too glad to withdraw as soon as his Excellency the Viceroy can make arrangements to take over the place. As for the old camp at Lu Tai, and also the land and buildings at Tongshan, the occupation is justified under the Protocol. At Chin Wang Tao the only house occupied is one built by the military authorities themselves on land belonging, it is believed, to a Chinese subject. This the General hopes to be able to give up shortly.

The fort at Shanhaikwan is occupied in conjunction with the Russian troops, and General Creagh is prepared to give over these barracks directly the Russians do so. All the other buildings occupied at Shanhaikwan are rented from their owners.

The above land and buildings are held under the Protocol, and will, of course, be returned to the Chinese on evacuation.

I trust that your Highness will communicate the foregoing to his Excellency the Viceroy,

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I avail, &c.

(Signed)

WALTER TOWNLEY.

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