This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
SOUTH-WEST CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
54
[November 20.]
SECTION 1.
India Office to Foreign Office.~(Received November 20.)
Sir,
India Office, November 18, 1903.
WITH reference to your letter of the 25th October, 1900, relative to the visional frontier between British Burmah and China, between the Namting River and Nalawt, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Brodrick to inclose, for Lord Lansdowne's information, a copy of a Secret despatch from the Government of India, dated the 22nd ultimo, and inclosures, recommending that Sir Ernest Satow should be instructed to address the Chinese Government in the sense suggested by himself in the course of his discussions with the Lieutenant-Governor of Burmah during his recent visit to Rangoon, as reported in paragraph 4 of the letter from the Government of Burmah, dated the 4th September last, inclosed with the despatch from the Government of India.
I am to add that Mr. Brodrick concurs in this recommendation.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
I am, &c. (Signed)
A. GODLEY.
(Secret.) Sir,
Government of India to Mr. Brodrick.
Simla, October 22, 1903.
WE have the honour to forward, for the consideration of His Majesty's Government, a copy of a letter from the Burmah Government, on the subject of that portion of the Burmo-Chinese frontier, lying between the Namting River on the north and Nalawt on the south, which has not yet been finally demarcated in agreement with the Chinese.
A report of the operations of the Burmo-Chinese Boundary Commission (1899-1900) relating to the portion of the frontier in question was forwarded with our Secret despatch, dated the 2nd August, 1900.
In his Secret despatch, dated the 28th September, 1900, Lord George Hamilton approved the instructions issued by us on the subject to the Lieutenant-Governor of Burmah, and subsequently His Lordship intimated that the provisional line of British frontier, viz., either that indicated on the map attached to the Agreement of 1897, or any line on the British side which had been formally pointed out to the Chinese Government as the British frontier, might provisionally be regarded as the frontier of British Burmah, pending a final settlement of the matter.
2. The frontier which we claim in this part is indicated on a map which accompanied Sir George Scott's letter, dated the 28th May, 1900, and it will be seen from that report that the Chinese Commissioners were clearly informed of what we regarded as the boundary.
Sir George Scott's action had been approved in a telegram from Lord George Hamilton, dated the 22nd May, 1900, which directed that the intimation to the Chinese authorities should be so clear as to leave no room for misunderstanding. These instructions were communicated by telegram on the 30th May, 1900, by the late Marquess of Salisbury to Sir Claude MacDonald, who was at the same time authorized to inform the Chinese Government of what had been done in the matter. It seems possible, however, that no communication was actually addressed to the Chinese Government, for Sir Ernest Satow, with whom the Lieutenant-Governor took the opportunity of discussing the question during his recent visit to Burmah, was not aware that His
[2219 bb--1]
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
SOUTH-WEST CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
54
[November 20.]
SECTION 1.
India Office to Foreign Office.~(Received November 20.)
pro-
Sir,
India Office, November 18, 1903. WITH reference to your letter of the 25th October, 1900, relative to the visional frontier between British Burmah and China, between the Namting River and Nalawt, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Brodrick to inclose, for Lord Lansdowne's information, a copy of a Secret despatch from the Government of India, dated the 22nd ultimo, and inclosures, recommending that Sir Ernest Satow should be instructed to address the Chinese Government in the sense suggested by himself in the course of his discussions with the Lieutenant-Governor of Burmah during his recent visit to Rangoon, as reported in paragraph 4 of the letter from the Government of Burmah, dated the 4th September last, inclosed with the despatch from the Government of India.
I am to add that Mr. Brodrick concurs in this recommendation.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
I am, &c. (Signed)
A. GODLEY.
(Secret.) Sir,
Government of India to Mr. Brodrick.
Simla, October 22, 1903.
WE have the honour to forward, for the consideration of His Majesty's Govern- ment, a copy of a letter from the Burmah Government, on the subject of that portion of the Burmo-Chinese frontier, lying between the Namting River on the north and Nalawt on the south, which has not yet been finally demarcated in agreement with the Chinese.
A report of the operations of the Burmo-Chinese Boundary Commission (1899- 1900) relating to the portion of the frontier in question was forwarded with our Secret despatch, dated the 2nd August, 1900.
In his Secret despatch, dated the 28th September, 1900, Lord George Hamilton approved the instructions issued by us on the subject to the Lieutenant-Governor of Burmah, and subsequently His Lordship intimated that the provisional line of British frontier, viz., either that indicated on the map attached to the Agreement of 1897, or any line on the British side which had been formally pointed out to the Chinese Government as the British frontier, might provisionally be regarded as the frontier of British Burmah, pending a final settlement of the matter.
2. The frontier which we claim in this part is indicated on a map which accom- panied Sir George Scott's letter, dated the 28th May, 1900, and it will be seen from that report that the Chinese Commissioners were clearly informed of what we regarded as the boundary.
Sir George Scott's action had been approved in a telegram from Lord George Hamilton, dated the 22nd May, 1900, which directed that the intimation to the Chinese authorities should be so clear as to leave no room for misunderstanding. These instruc- tions were communicated by telegram on the 30th May, 1900, by the late Marquess of Salisbury to Sir Claude MacDonald, who was at the same time authorized to inform the Chinese Government of what had been done in the matter. It seems possible, however, that no communication was actually addressed to the Chinese Government, for Sir Ernest Satow, with whom the Lieutenant-Governor took the opportunity of discussing the question during his recent visit to Burmah, was not aware that His
[2219 bb--1]
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