[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
15682
-CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[October 10
SECTION 3.
ہیں ا نا نا ہے
Sir E. Satow to the Marquess of Lansdowne.--(Received October 10.)
(No. 315.)
Peking, August 25, 1904.
My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to report that on the 29th July I received from His Majesty's Consul at Foochow a despatch giving particulars of a great number of cases of illegitimate interference on the part of the Chinese authorities in the interior with camphor, the property of British subjects, and an account of his energetic, but unsuccessful, efforts to obtain redress. The despatch, of which I have the honour to inclose a copy,* covered, with its inclosures, so much ground, that there had not been time to prepare a précis of it for communication to the Board of Foreign Affairs, when there arrived on the 10th August a further report from Mr. Brady containing the news that the Chinese authorities had at last decided to cancel the monopoly which had been the subject of so many and so well-founded complaints, and had notified all the foreign Consuls to that effect. This they did on the 23rd July, and on the 27th took a further and very unusual step by informing the Consuls that the responsibility of any further interference with the trade must rest with the Japanese Consul, whom the Chinese authorities had requested to recall all the Japanese employés of the Syndicate. No Chinese official would make such an intimation unless he felt the situation to be quite intolerable, and Mr. Brady's despatch shows how such a position has been created by the violent and overbearing action of the Japanese, who, I regret to say, have apparently throughout received the support of their Consular Representatives.
Since the date of my last Report to your Lordship (11th December, 1903) I had, prior to the receipt of Mr. Brady's present despatches, twice addressed the Board of Foreign Affairs in writing on this question, and had also discussed it with them at personal interviews, my main argument, apart from an appeal to the provisions of the French Treaty with regard to monopolies, being that if a Japanese Syndicate could be granted sole control of the camphor industry in any given province, the tea and silk trades might equally well be closed to all but some other privileged foreign Corporation in all parts of the Empire. The Board ended by admitting that the present arrangements had a prejudicial effect on native industry, as well as giving rise to protests from foreign Powers, and they stated that they were in communication with the Viceroy of Fukhien with a view to their amendment. There have been, I understand, many consultations on the subject between the Central and the Provincial authorities, ending in the intimation already described that the monopoly had been abolished. I mentioned this abolition to Prince Ching at an interview of the 10th August, and gathered from him that the Central Government approved the Viceroy's action, but had arranged with the Japanese Minister that disputed points in connection with the agreement with the Japanese Syndicate, should be settled by a Chinese Deputy and the Japanese Consul at Amoy, who was proceeding for the purpose to Foochow. I told the Prince that I had learnt with much satisfaction of the cancelling of the monopoly, but I did not pursue the subject, having no reason to suppose that British merchants would experience any further difficulties.
In his despatch of the 6th July Mr. Brady had suggested that the mere reimbursement of actual losses would neither be adequate compensation to the merchants for the injury to their trade, nor would it be a sufficient deterrent to the officials who had made the seizures. In this view I should have fully concurred had not the cancelling of the monopoly seemed to secure future freedom for the trade, but under the changed circumstances I suggested to him, by telegram, that repayment of actual losses might be accepted on condition that there was no further interference. I learnt, however, from him, in reply, that the Chinese determination to suppress the monopoly was weakening in face of pressure from the Japanese, and I accordingly, at his request, addressed to the Board of Foreign Affairs the note, of which a copy is inclosed, asking for the strict fulfilment of the assurances given to Mr. Brady.
There will not be time before the bag closes to learn the result.
[2206 k-3]
* Not printed.
B
612
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
15682
-CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[October 10
SECTION 3.
ہیں ا نا نا ہے
Sir E. Satow to the Marquess of Lansdowne.--(Received October 10.)
(No. 315.)
Peking, August 25, 1904. My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to report that on the 29th July I received from His Majesty's Consul at Foochow a despatch giving particulars of a great number of cases of illegitimate interference on the part of the Chinese authorities in the interior with camphor, the property of British subjects, and an account of his energetic, but unsuccessful, efforts to obtain redress. The despatch, of which I have the honour to inclose a copy,* covered, with its inclosures, so much ground, that there had not been time to prepare a précis of it for communication to the Board of Foreign Affairs, when there arrived on the 10th August a further report from Mr. Brady containing the news that the Chinese authorities had at last decided to cancel the monopoly which had been the subject of so many and so well-founded complaints, and had notified all the foreign Consuls to that effect. This they did on the 23rd July, and on the 27th took a further and very unusual step by informing the Consuls that the responsibility of any further interference with the trade must rest with the Japanese Consul, whom the Chinese authorities had requested to recall all the Japanese employés of the Syndicate. No Chinese official would make such an intimation unless he felt the situation to be quite intolerable, and Mr. Brady's despatch shows how soch a position has been created by the violent and overbearing action of the Japanese, who, I regret to say, have apparently throughout received the support of their Consular Representatives.
Since the date of my last Report to your Lordship (11th December, 1903) I had, prior to the receipt of Mr. Brady's present despatches, twice addressed the Board of Foreign Affairs in writing on this question, and had also discussed it with them at personal interviews, my main argument, apart from an appeal to the provisions of the French Treaty with regard to monopolies, being that if a Japanese Syndicate could be granted sole control of the camphor industry in any given province, the tea and silk trades might equally well be closed to all but some other privileged foreign Corporation in all parts of the Empire. The Board ended by admitting that the present arrangements had a prejudicial effect on native industry, as well as giving rise to protests from foreign Powers, and they stated that they were in communication with the Viceroy of Fukhien with a view to their amend- ment. There have been, I understand, many consultations on the subject between the Central and the Provincial authorities, ending in the intimation already described that the monopoly bad been abolished. I mentioned this abolition to Prince Ching at an interview of the 10th August, and gathered from him that the Central Government approved the Viceroy's action, but had arranged with the Japanese Minister that disputed points in connection with the agreement with the Japanese Syndicate, should be settled by a Chinese Deputy and the Japanese Consul at Amoy, who was proceeding for the purpose to Foochow. I told the Prince that I had learnt with much satisfaction of the cancelling of the monopoly, but I did not pursue the subject, having no reason to suppose that British merchants would experience any further difficulties.
In his despatch of the 6th July Mr. Brady had suggested that the mere reimburse- ment of actual losses would neither be adequate compensation to the merchants for the injury to their trade, nor would it be a sufficient deterrent to the officials who had made the seizures. In this view I should have fully concurred had not the cancelling of the monopoly seemed to secure future freedom for the trade, but under the changed circum- stances I suggested to him, by telegram, that repayment of actual losses might be accepted on condition that there was no further interference. I learnt, however, from him, in reply, that the Chinese determination to suppress the monopoly was weakening in face pressure from the Japanese, and I accordingly, at his request, addressed to the Board of Foreign Affairs the note, of which a copy is inclosed, asking for the strict fulfilment of the assurances given to Mr. Brady.
of
There will not be time before the bag closes to learn the result.
[2206 k-3]
* Not printed.
B
612
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