[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
31
2
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Miss J. Cormack to the Rev. D. Mills.
(Extract.)
Lo Ping, October 12, 1907. We have had threatened trouble here this week. I fancy the Kanchow troubles may have been the cause. The news came in on Sunday afternoon, and as soon as it was known the Tien-chu Tang people and the Siao-hsiao T'ang people fled by boat to Rao-cheo. A number of stories then began to be circulated, and by Monday evening there was a good deal of "iao-ien," and folks were coming in advising me to leave. However, I didn't put much faith in their stories, and was sorry the Catholics had gone away. Their going caused a sort of panic among the street people, and they were gathering up their "tong-si" and going off by boat as fast as they could. The "Tong-hsiang" here is a bad district, and about eighty roughs gathered there, The Lao-ie offered a reward of 1,000 dollars for the leader's head, and on Friday morning he and his soldiers went out to the "Tong-hsiang" and seized six men and beheaded them, and fired on the crowd, killing other five. One of these five was identified by the country-people as the leader, so the heads of the seven were brought in and hung up on the gates of the city. So praise the Lord, He has saved us from trouble, sending this new Lao-ie just at this time to "pan" this affair. I don't think the old Lao-ie would have had the courage to do as this one has done. I hear he is only 35 or 36—rather young to be in office, isn't it? I hear to-day that soldiers have been sent for, and that 400 (?) are expected this afternoon. It has been an exciting time, but we have all been kept free from fear.
Miss Hettie Fleming came on a long-promised visit on Wednesday, and would have stayed over Sunday had things not quieted down, but as it was she returned to S. C. Kiai yesterday afternoon, hoping to be back in Nan-nien to-night.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[4365]
(No. 595.) Sir,
No. 1.
[February 8.]
SECTION 4
C.O.
7780
Rec? TRECE 4 MAR 08
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received February 8, 1908.)
Peking, December 24, 1907. In continuation of my despatch No. 581 of the 12th December, I have the honour to inclose copy of recent correspondence between Admiral Sir A. Moore, His Majesty's Consul-General, and the Vicer ...
[2846 A-4]
B
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.j
31
2
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Miss J. Cormack to the Rev. D. Mills.
(Extract.)
Lo Ping, October 12, 1907. WE have had threatened trouble here this week. I fancy the Kanchow troubles may have been the cause. The news came in on Sunday afternoon, and as soon as it was known the Tien-chu Tang people and the Siao-hsiol T'ang people fled by boat to Rao-cheo, A number of stories then began to be circulated, and by Monday evening there was a good deal of "iao-ien," and folks were coming in advising me to leave. However, I didn't put much faith in their stories, and was sorry the Catholics had gone away. Their going caused a sort of panic among the street people, and they were gathering up their "tong-si" and going off by boat as fast as they could. The "Tong-hsiang" here is a bad district, and about eighty roughs gathered there, The Lao-ic offered intending to come and riot the Roman Catholics' place and ours.
a reward of 1,000 dollars for the leader's head, and on Friday morning he and his soldiers went out to the "Tong-hsiang" and seized six men and beheaded them, and fired on the crowd, killing other five. One of these five was identified by the country- people as the leader, so the heads of the seven were brought in and hung up on the gates of the city. So praise the Lord, He has saved us from trouble, sending this new Lao-ie just at this time to "pan" this affair. I don't think the old Lao-ie would have had the courage to do as this one has done. I hear he is only 35 or 36-rather young to be in office, isn't it? I hear to-day that soldiers have been sent for, and that 400 (?) are expected this afternoon. It has been an exciting time, but we have all been kept free from fear.
Miss Hettic Fleming came on a long-promised visit on Wednesday, and would have stayed over Sunday had things not quieted down, but as it was she returned to S. C. Kiai yesterday afternoon, hoping to be back in Nan-nien to-night.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[4365]
(No. 595.) Sir,
No. 1.
[February 8.]
SECTION 4ĺ
C.0.
7780
Rec? TRECE 4 MAR 08
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received February 8, 1908.)
Peking, December 24, 1907. IN continuation of my despatch No. 581 of the 12th December, I have the honour to inclose copy of recent correspondence between Admiral Sir A. Moore, His Majesty's Consul-General, and the Viceroy at Canton on the subject of the suppression of piracy, and regarding the piracy of the launches "Wing Fat" and "Hong Fu." His Majesty's Consul-General had notified the Viceroy on the 30th November that the extended patrol of the Canton waters by British ships would be inaugurated in the following week. To this the Viceroy replied on the 3rd December, protesting against such action as being an infringement of China's sovereign rights, and repudiating all responsibility on the part of the Provincial Government for any injury to British trade resulting from such action.
With regard to this covert threat of a boycott, I would call attention to Mr. Mansfield's expression of opinion that such an eventuality is improbable.
The Admiral replied on the 5th December to the Viceroy's protest, pointing out that the right of Great Britain to protect her commerce by patrolling the waterways of Canton had been recognized since 1898, and that His Majesty's Government would welcome effective measures on the part of China herself, which would relieve British ships of this responsibility. Sir A. Moore also drew attention to a case, in 1903, where China had recognized the obligation to pay compensation to a British subject for injuries inflicted by pirates firing on the steamer on which he was travelling from the shore.
As regards the Viceroy's proposed scheme for a Chinese preventive service, which is dealt with in His Majesty's Consul-General's despatch No. 60 of the 1st December, Mr. Mansfeld regards it as worthless, and does not believe that efficiency can be obtained without foreign control. Experience of the laxity of the Canton authorities in the past doubtless justifies this view, but the strong disinclination of the Inspector- General of Customs to become involved in the responsibility of grappling with this difficult task renders it unlikely that foreign control of such a preventive service can now be attained. The Peking authorities certainly appear to be in earnest in their desire to stamp out this evil, which they recognize to be a disgrace to the Provincial Administration, and I therefore venture to take a more hopeful view than I would have been prepared to entertain some months ago of the possibility of an effective service under purely Chinese management.
The Wai-wu Pu having represented to the Viceroy that I had withdrawn the demand for the employment of foreign officers in connection with the proposal to place patrol-vessels under the Customs, I sent a message to the Board on the 20th instant drawing attention to this inaccuracy, which had been brought to my notice by His Majesty's Consul-General, and asking that it should be rectified.
Note was formally taken of the correction, and the explanation was given that they had understood me to say that, if the vessels were under the Customs, it was not essential to employ foreigners on board.
Mr. Liang, who received my message, then proceeded to send me one in return. It was to the effect that the Government proposed to place the preventive service under Chinese officers of the old Peiyang squadron, trained by Admiral Lang, and to employ midshipmen recently trained on His Majesty's ships on this station. The scheme would be explained to me in a more detailed form at an early date, when I would be asked if I would forgo the demand for vessels under Customs control, in view of their sincere intention to take effective steps.
In order that I should be in possession of the views of Admiral Moore and His Majesty's Consul-General on this point before it was put before me officially, I telegraphed its purport to Mr. Mansfield on the 20th December, reminding him of the unwillingness of the Customs to participate, and informing him that I was inclined to recommend to His Majesty's Government a trial of the Chinese proposal, provided that it appears fairly adequate when fully laid before me. I added that payment of the
[2846 A-4]
B
:
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.