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whether or not there will be any in future. I shall be much pleased if the above fact will serve for your purpose of allaying the anxiety of the British subjects here.
Nevertheless, the purport of your communication will forthwith be transmitted to the Imperial Government for their consideration.
(No. 16.) Sir,
[B]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
I have, &c. (Signed)
B. KUBOTA,
Consul for Japan.
[19895]
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
(No. 211.) Sir,
Acting Consul Tebbitt to Sir J. Jordan,
Newchwang, April 18, 1907. WITH reference to the question of the roads built by the Japanese Military Administration, I have the honour to inclose herewith copy of a communication from the Japanese Consul to the effect that he has taken charge of the land which the Military Administration had acquired, and the roads will remain open.
Mr. Kubota, the Japanese Consul, at a previous interview in March informed me that he had received a telegram from his Government in answer to my request giving me the above assurance, but I asked him to let me have it in writing for purposes of record.
A further assurance is conveyed by the fact that in certain exchanges of land between British subjects and the Japanese Military Administration the latter put their indorsement to a clause allowing the British subjects constant access to the roads.
As to its status, Mr. Kubota still calls the land in question "military property," in spite of the military evacuation, and, further, Mr. Okabe, who was interpreter to the recent Military Administration until its final winding up at the end of March, has now been appointed Mayor there.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Sir and dear Colleague,
Inclosure 4 in No. 1.
Mr. Kubota to Acting Consul Tebbitt.
R. T. TEBBITT.
His Imperial Japanese Majesty's Consulate, Newchwang, April 11, 1907.
I HAVE the honour to inform you that the charge of the land between here and Niuchiat'un, which is military property, has been delegated to this Consulate on the 5th of this month; and as to the roads therein I beg to say that, for unavoidable necessity, they will remain status quo.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
B. KUBOTA,
Consul for Japan.
No. 1.
124463
[June 17]
SECTION 3.
11 JUL 07
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received June 17.)
Peking, May 2, 1907. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith a Memorandum entitled " Unrest in China" which I have received from the Military Attaché to His Britannic Majesty's Legation, who is now travelling in the Yang-tsze region.
There is no doubt a good deal of dissatisfaction among the Chinese with regard to the transfer of a large portion of the army from the Viceroy Yuan to the Manchus, but the predominance of the Manchu element in the provincial administration is not so marked as it was before the recent appointments in Manchuria were made.
Of the Viceroys in China proper, four are Chinese and four Manchus, an unusually large proportion for the latter. There are seven Chinese Governors of provinces against three Manchus, the numbers two years ago having been ten Chinese and two Manchus.
Among the Financial Commissioners the increase in the Manchus is more noticeable, there being seven Manchus to twelve Chinese, whereas two years ago the proportion was three Manchus to sixteen Chinese.
But the balance has been redressed by the reorganization of Manchuria being intrusted to a Chinese Viceroy and three Chinese Governors, all of whom have served their apprenticeship under the Viceroy Yuan, and are imbued with his ideas of enlightened administration.
(Confidential.)
Inclosure in No. 1.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Memorandum respecting Unrest in China.
J. N. JORDAN.
AT the present time there is nothing n the shape of a rebellion, but there is a good deal of lawlessness and restlessness, spread over various provinces. This feeling arises in parts from shortage of rice, elsewhere (usually when three provinces meet) from a want of proper official control, and partly from a feeling of Chinese sentiment against the Manchu dynasty, which, as in the Boxer troubles, is sometines diverted against the foreigners.
At present there appears to be no danger, because, as far as one can judge, there is no united action, no organization, and no capable heads. Two or three years ago Kuang-Si was the hotbed of dissension, last year Kiang-Si was the centre, whilst in other places such as Tsao-Chou Fu in Shan-Tung, and Southern Kiang-Si brigandage is always rampant. Perhaps more serious are the reappearance of a Society, said by the local missionaries to be similar to the Boxers, at Wei-Hui Fu, in Ho-Nan, and the reported feeling against foreign Syndicates in Sban-Si. Often the Chinese do not send their best troops, or are satisfied if they can secure a temporary lull, without trying to secure a permanent peace. Considering the very poor organization of the ordinary provincial troops, it is only surprising that they are able to achieve anything at all, and they only owe their successes to the fact that, up to the present, the lawless elements are even more of a disorganized mob than the troops, and that the Chinese are by nature a long-suffering race.
Chinese feeling against Manchu domination appears to be increasing, and this movement is chiefly led by Cantonese, among whom may be found many of the most intelligent and enlightened officials, and many of the most ardent reformers, A foreigner does not often get intimate with a Chinese, or get taken into his confidence, and I have been struck on several occasions by the feeling of dislike for the Manchus, professed by some of the younger generation. Last year there were several fights, and
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