CO129-331 - Public Offices - 1905 — Page 456

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I have addressed to His Majesty's Minister covering translation of further Chinese correspondence on the same subject. I am forwarding these through Mr. Leveson.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

G. LITTON.

Forwarded to the Chief Secretary to the Government of Burmah. I have dispatched a typed copy (of Mr. Litton's instruction) to the Foreign Office, London. I shall be glad of two copies when printed.

June 17, 1905.

(Signed)

H. G. A. LEVESON,

Deputy Commissioner, Bhumo.

Inclosure 14 in No. 1.

Acting Consul Litton to Sir E. Satow.

(No. 9. Confidential.) Sir.

Tengyueh, June 7, 1905. IN continuation of my despatch No. 8 on the subject of the northern undelimited frontier between Burmah and Yunnan, I now have the honour to submit :--

1. Taotai Shih's reply to my despatch to him on the subject.

2. A further note by me in reply to his reply.

3. The Taotai's Report, as I understand it, has gone to Yünnan-fu.

I understand that a copy of my further reply has also gone to Yunnan-fu. The text of the greater part of my original despatch to Taotai Shih and of his reply to me had previously been arranged between us, when on the frontier. It is satisfactory that the Taotai speaks in terms of strong approval of the proposal of a perpetual lease, that he has pointed out to the Yunnan-fu Government that similar arrangement on the Meng Mao border has had excellent results, and he has passed on to his Government my note, which explains to them the serious expense in which they would be involved if they attempted to take over the country which they claim.

2

The Chinese claims beyond the watershed are now formally stated to be a small piece of territory on the Upper Chipway and the whole of the country between the main divide and the Ngaw Chang or Little River as far as its junction with the Khetmaw, and including the whole of the valley of the Khan-Sheng. For reasons already stated it is impossible to entertain these claims.

On the other hand, it is to be regretted that at the last moment the Taotai should have thought fit to put forward in his despatch a definite alternative frontier, and to record what I believe to be an entirely imaginary interview with certain Tzu Chu Headmen. The Taotal never went to Tzu Chu, nor did I or Mr. Leveson hear anything of the supposed interview until the receipt of the Taotai's despatch.

But between the date when I parted from the Taotai on the Salween and the date of his Report to Yunnan an unfortunate incident occurred which will probably render the speedy settlement of the frontier far from easy. Tuotai Shih is only Acting Taotai of West Yunnan. When in January he received orders to proceed as Chinese repre- sentative on the frontier cxpedition he was assured that he would be retained at Tengyueh for about year, the substantive Tuotai acting as Grain Intendant at Yunnan-fu, a post of higher rank, until the arrival of the substantive Grain Intendant, who, I believe, is now in Peking. As late as April the Consul-General was, I under- stand, assured that Taotai Shih would not be relieved until the arrival of the new Grain Intendant.

But on Taotai Shib's return to Tengyuch from the Salween on the 17th May, he received a curi telegram from Yunnan-fu, stating that he was transferred as Taolai to Pu-Erh, a remote and undesirable post in South-West Yannan, and that he was to proceed direct without, as is usual in such cases, first going to Yünnan to report in person.

Neither Taotai Shih himself nor any of the Chinese here feel any doubt that this move by the Yünnan Government is a deliberate slight to the British authorities, is

intended as a mark of displeasure against the Tautai, and is designed to delay the settle- ment of the frontier. With this view 1 wholly concur, and I believe that one of the reasons for this sudden transfer was that Taotai Shih had shown himself reasonable and even energetic on the frontier, and had done nothing to obstruct the work of our party. The explanations which the Governor-General has since offered are most flimsy. It is said that Taotai Shih is sent to Pu-Erh direct to save him expense, but no one knows better than the Yunan-fu officials that during the summer rains the direct routes from Tengyuch to Pu-Erh are practically impassable, and that no transport could be hired save at enormous expense, and that, if hired, it would probably break down before reaching half-way. Then they say that Taotai Shib is to be in sole charge of the frontier question still and may, if necessary, remain at Tengyueh after the arrival of his successor. It must be remembered that Taotai Shih is the only official in China who has the least first-hand knowledge of this frontier question. How can he be in charge of it if he is at Pu-Erh, a month's journey away, and what sort of a spirit does it show on the part of the Yunnan officials to want to send him there, at this time and contrary to previous arrangements ?

If, on the other hand, he is to hand over charge to his successor and yet remain at Tengyueh an impossible situation will be at once produced, for the frontier question is a territorial one which must be dealt with by the responsible territorial authority. Then, again, the Chinese Government have stated that they consider the inquiry closed and Taotai Shih's mission ended. But the inquiry has only gone to latitude 26° 30′ north, and the Yunnan-Barmah frontier goes to at least 28° north. Further, it is only the field work which has been closed even up to 26° 30′. Negotiations ou our reports have not begun, and although such negotiations will not take place here it seems certain that the Peking and Yünnan Governments, with their usual dilatoriness, will want to be making constant references back to Tengyueh on various local points; and yet they remove their repre- sentative to an inaccessible distance.

It seems to me that the Government of Burmah has been treated in an exceedingly off-hand manner, and the Chinese might be informed that as they have removed their representative in this way we can only presume that they accept our frontier. I would at the same time submit that any discussion as to what the frontier-line is to be should be firmly declined, and that it should be explained to the Chinese that they have only two courses open to them :-

1. To agree to the watershed line and a liberal reut;

2. Or to see the Government of Burmah occupy the country without such an Agreement.

If the latter course (No. 2) were adopted, the Governor-General at Yunnan-tu would be put in an awkward position and would hardly escape impeachment by his official enemies; so if his Excellency can be persuaded that the mind of the Government is made up finally on this question the matter may still be amicably settled.

I received your telegram informing me that you would approve a reasonable present to Taotai Shih if he sent in a favourable report. Such a present would under ordinary circumstances have been of much assistance in getting the matter settled, but in view of Taotai Shih's sudden and penal transfer, I do not think he could have been induced to send in a more favourable report than he has; it would have been too great a personal risk to ineur. Further, there is now no reason to suppose that his report will have much influence on the Yünnan Government, as he is clearly in disgrace; thus if I had paid anything I should have paid for goods of which I should not have been likely to get delivery. I have, however, in a private letter to the Taotai and in conversation, intimated to him that a present of 4,000 rupees nominally for the entertainment of the Chinese Headmen will be forthcoming, if the frontier is settled in the sense of my despatch, i.e., if the watershed is accepted up to the confines of Thibet.

I told him that this sum would be paid to him, if he was available, and no questions asked. I also stated that as regards rent the British Government would be prepared to

go to the annual sum of 1,000 rupees to 1,500 rupees a-year.

I need hardly point out how extremely cheap such a bargain would be for India, for even a small expedition into the country would cost in all probability a lakh or more,

I understand that the Taotai after some hesitation has informed the Yünnan Govern- ment by telegraph that I have made the above-mentioned offer in respect of rent, and also the above-mentioned proposal to pay 4,000 rupees, though he has not, of course, put this as an offer of a present to himself, but as a contribution to enable the Headmen to put their territory near the frontier in order, or words to that effect.

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