CO129-345 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 354

This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government

AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

38147

[October 5.] TRESP SKOTIOR. 29 OCT 07,

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No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received October 5.)

Peking, August 20, 1907.

(No. 403.) Sir,

I HAVE the honour to forward to you herewith copies of a correspondence which has passed between Brigadier-General Waters, the General Officer Commanding the Troops in North China, and myself on the subject of the maintenance by the Chinese authorities of Chinese garrisons at different points on or close to the Peking- Tangku-Shanhaikuan Railway, and of their increase from time to time.

In view of the fact that there are no foreign troops now between Peking and Tien-tsin, I have given it as my opinion that we could scarcely object to the Chinese taking reasonable measures for safeguarding the railway, but I have pointed out that it would be advisable to continue to keep a watch upon any changes in the strength and composition of the Chinese troops at the stations."

In view of the attitude which the Viceroy has recently assumed towards the Chinese Engineering and Mining Company, it seems to me especially desirable that a small body of British troops should be retained at Tongshan, and I have informed General Waters that I am prepared, if necessary, to solicit your approval of this suggestion by telegraph.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

J. N. JORDAN,

11

(No. 608. Confidential.) Sir.

Inclosure I in No. 1.

General Waters to Sir J. Jordan.

Head-quarters Staff Office, North China Command, Tien-tsin, August 13, 1907. WITEN the native city of Tien-tsin was hauded over in 1902 by the Provisional (Foreign) Administration to the Chinese authorities, the sixth clause of the terms laid down on the 12th April, 1902, by the Allied Commanders of the foreign troops stated that: "The Chinese garrisons now within less than 18 miles (30 kilom.) of the Peking-Tangku-Shanhaikuan Railway shall under no circumstances be increased. The Chinese Government will report their distribution and strength as on the 1st April (1902)."

2. There is no record in my office that the report in question was ever rendered by the Chinese Government, nor have I any evidence that the latter accepted as binding the views of the foreign Commanders.

3. It has come to my knowledge lately that small bodies of Chinese troops have been stationed since 1904 at thirteen different points on or close to the Peking- Taugku-Shanhaikuan Railway. Inclosure 2 shows that eight of these thirteen

posts were established as recently as June of this year, one of them, 100 men strong, being at that very important tactical locality, Yang-tsun, which is situated between Tien-tsin and Peking.

4. There is no suggestion that any of these troops have been sent to their present quarters otherwise than in a straightforward manner. Indeed, the Chinese officer who commands the men at Lu-t'ai told the British Commandant there that it was intended to place Chinese troops along the railway with a view to protecting it from evilly disposed Chinese.

5. At the same time the distribution of these Chinese forces, which, however, only amount to 1,035 men, and are of poor quality, is at variance with the terms laid down in 1902 by the Allied Commanders, who obviously intended to prevent a redistribution of the forces as they stood on the 1st April, 1902, because their stations as well as their numbers were to be reported by the Chinese Government.

6. It is probable that the reason for the redistribution which I have mentioned is

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