CO129-345 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 526

572 A

44707

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

AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[38508]

No. 1.

24 DEC 07

[November 22.)

SECTION 1.

Sir,

War Office to Foreign Office.-(Received November 22.)

War Office, November 22, 1907. I AM commanded by the Army Council to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated the 12th ultimo, inclosing a copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Minister at Peking with regard to the increase of the Chinese garrisons on the Peking-Shanhaikuan Railway, and expressing the hope that the British garrison at Tongshan may not be withdrawn without the concurrence of Sir J. Jordan.

2. In reply, the Army Council command me to acquaint you that, if this garrison is not to be withdrawn, the arrangements for concentrating the troops at Tien-tsin, which are now far advanced, will require to be considerably modified.

3. I am to point out that in your letter dated the 13th March, 1907, it was stated that the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs had no political objection to the concentration of the British troops at Tien-tsin, but that he would be glad to be informed if it were decided to approve the proposal, since it would be desirable to inform the Japanese and French Governments, who have small contingents at Shanhaikuan, before withdrawal was actually effected.

4. On the receipt of this letter, the Treasury was asked to sanction the necessary expenditure on the buildings required for the accommodation for the extra troops to be concentrated at Tien-tsin, and sanction was accorded on the understanding that a saving would be effected by the concentration.

5. Buildings have already been hired for a period of three years, and much expenditure has been incurred. In fact the Army Council were on the point of intimating to Sir Edward Grey that the concentration would take place in January next, in order that the necessary notification might be sent to the Japanese and French Governments, when your letter now under consideration was received,

6. In these circumstances, I am to point out the serious inconvenience and expense which would be caused by an alteration of the arrangements now in progress, and to say that the Army Council would be glad if the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs could see fit not to press for the modification suggested.

I am, (Signed)

&c.

R. H. BRADE.

[2732 y-1]