This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
2
much more to be feared than that of the revolutionaries, and the present incident is taken as confirming this opinion. It is a fact that Europeans were never in any way interfered with by the rebels. The Imperial forces have also suffered in reputation from the disgusting scene which was witnessed after the taking of Hokou. All the rebels had evacuated the place, and practically all the rest of the population as well. Some half-dozen miserable coolies were, however, captured, and accused of giving information to the revolutionaries, which may have been true or may not. They were bound and taken to the public execution ground on a sand-bank in front of Hokou, and in full view of Laokay, where they were put to death in the most atrocious and fiendish manner, their bodies being afterwards subjected to nameless mutilations. Portions of their internal organs are said to have been taken away to eat, but this, though possible, cannot be held to be proved. Of the fact of the torture and mutilation there cannot be any doubt, as it was witnessed by many French people in Lackay. In the light of this behaviour of the troops, presumably with the concurrence of the authorities, the humanitarian and civilized sentiments recently uttered by the French-speaking Judicial Commissioner of Yunnan and Taotai of Mongtze in the interviews accorded by them to local journals, are looked upon here as so much hypocrisy. These two officials have left Hanoi and proceeded up to Yünnan.
An incident, which has not been reported in the press, has recently occurred also on the frontier of Kwangsi, near Langson, where a party of Chinese regular troops crossed over into French territory and sacked a small village. I imagine, however, that the soldiers were not acting in uniform and officially, but in their private capacity of brigands.
There are now over 800 revolutionaries in custody who have surrendered to the French authorities and been disarmed in connection with the recent events, and it is somewhat difficult to know what to do with them. At present they are to be interned on an island in the Baie d'Along (north of the Red River delta), known as the Ile des Daims, where they will be kept at the expense of the Chinese Government. Eventually they will probably be gradually deported in small numbers.
I have, &c. (Signed)
T. F. F. CARLISLE.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[24531]
No. 1.
[July 15.]
SECTION 1.
Post Office to Foreign Office.—(Received July 15.)
Sir,
General Post Office, London, July 13, 1908.
WITH reference to previous correspondence, I am directed by the Postmaster-General to transmit the accompanying advance copy of a Report from the Cables (Landing Rights) Committee on the question of telegraphic communication with Japan and the Far East, Mr. Buxton concurs in the recommendation of the Committee, and he would be glad to learn, at Sir Edward Grey's early convenience, whether he also concurs. Mr. Buxton is asking the other Departments represented on the Committee whether they also agree, and he will acquaint you as speedily as possible with their replies. In view of the presence in London of the Japanese Delegates to the Lisbon Conference, an early reply has been requested—if possible within one week from the date of this letter.
If no objection is taken by the Foreign Office or by any of the other Departments, Mr. Buxton would propose to inform the Japanese Delegates to the Lisbon Conference (who are now in this country), in accordance with paragraph 1 of the recommendations of the Committee, and also to communicate with the Eastern and Eastern Extension Companies in accordance with both paragraphs; and he assumes that in that case Sir Edward Grey will also make a communication to the Japanese Government in the sense of paragraph 1.
In this connection, I am to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 1st instant, inclosing a copy of a communication from Mr. Hesse, of the Eastern Extension Company, relative to the proposed Agreement between China and Japan in respect of the South Manchurian telegraphs.
Mr. Buxton understands that the facts in regard to the present position of the negotiations are as stated by Mr. Hesse; and he has learnt indirectly through the Japanese Delegates at the Lisbon Conference that there is no prospect of these terms being accepted by the Japanese Government, who are unlikely to agree to any modifications of their last proposal.
For the reasons mentioned in previous correspondence, Mr. Buxton thinks it highly desirable that everything possible should be done to remove this deadlock, and that, if Sir Edward Grey sees no objection, a further representation should be made to the Chinese Government with a view to their acceptance of the compromise proposed by Japan. Japan, at the suggestion of His Majesty's Government, has made large concessions; and the consequences to China which would arise from the non-acceptance of the Japanese proposal, through the termination of the Russo-Chinese Agreement concerning the North Manchurian telegraphs, and, in other ways, would probably be much more damaging than any which are likely to follow from its acceptance. In particular, Japan might claim a free hand with regard to the laying and working of the proposed Dalny-Chefoo cable. It is right to say, however, that Mr. Buxton has no reason to suppose that this course of action has occurred to the Japanese Government; and he thinks it would be undesirable for His Majesty's Government to do anything which might have the effect of suggesting it to them.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
H. BABINGTON SMITH,
[1865 p-1]
400
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
2
much more to be feared than that of the revolutionaries, and the present incident is taken as confirming this opinion. It is a fact that Europeans were never in any way interfered with by the rebels. The Imperial forces have also suffered in reputation from the disgusting scene which was witnessed after the taking of Hokou. All the rebels had evacuated the place, and practically all the rest of the population as well. Some half-dozen miserable coolies were, however, captured, and accused of giving information to the revolutionaries, which may have been true or may not. They were bound and taken to the public execution ground on a sand-bank in front of Hokou, and in full view of Laokay, where they were put to death in the most atrocious and fiendish manner, their bodies being afterwards subjected to nameless mutilations. Portions of their internal organs are said to have been taken away to cat, but this, though possible, cannot be held to be proved. Of the fact of the torture and mutila tion there cannot be any doubt, as it was witnessed by many French people in Lackay, In the light of this behaviour of the troops, presumably with the concurrence of the authorities, the humanitarian and civilized sentiments recently uttered by the French- speaking Judicial Commissioner of Yunnan and Taotai of Mongtze in the interviews accorded by them to local journals, are looked upon here as so much hypocrisy. These two officials have left Hanoi and proceeded up to Yünnan.
An incident, which has not been reported in the press, has recently occurred also on the frontier of Kwangsi, near Langson, where a party of Chinese regular troops crossed over into French territory and sacked a small village. I imagine, however, that the soldiers were not acting in uniform and officially, but in their private capacity of brigands.
There are now over 800 revolutionaries in custody who have surrendered to the French authorities and been disarmed in connection with the recent events, and it is somewhat difficult to know what to do with them. At present they are to be interned. on an island in the Baie d'Along (north of the Red River delta), known as the Ile des Daims, where they will be kept at the expense of the Chinese Government. Eventually they will probably be gradually deported in small numbers,
I have, &c. (Signed)
T. FF. CARLISLE.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[24531]
No. 1.
[July 15.]
SECTION 1.
Post Office to Foreign Office.—(Received July 15.)
Sir,
General Post Office, London, July 13, 1908. WITH reference to previous correspondence, I am directed by the Postmaster- General to transmit the accompanying advance copy of a Report from the Cables (Landing Rights) Committee on the question of telegraphic communication with Japan and the Far East, Mr. Buxton concurs in the recommendation of the Committee, and he would be glad to learn, at Sir Edward Grey's early convenience, whether he also concurs. Mr. Buxton is asking the other Departments represented on the Committee whether they also agree, and he will acquaint you as speedily as possible with their replies. In view of the presence in London of the Japanese Delegates to the Lisbon Conference, an early reply has been requested-if possible within one week from the date of this letter,
If no objection is taken by the Foreign Office or by any of the other Departments, Mr. Buxton would propose to inform the Japanese Delegates to the Lisbon Conference (who are now in this country), in accordance with paragraph 1 of the recommendations of the Committee, and also to communicate with the Eastern and Eastern Extension Companies in accordance with both paragraphs; and he assumes that in that case Sir Edward Grey will also make a communication to the Japanese Government in the sense of paragraph 1.
In this connection, I am to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 1st instant, inclosing a copy of a communication from Mr. Hesse, of the Eastern Extension Company, relative to the proposed Agreement between China and Japan in respect of the South Manchurian telegraphs.
Mr. Buxton understands that the facts in regard to the present position of the negotiations are as stated by Mr. Hesse; and he has learnt indirectly through the Japanese Delegates at the Lisbon Conference that there is no prospect of these terms being accepted by the Japanese Government, who are unlikely to agree to any modifica. tions of their last proposal.
For the reasons mentioned in previous correspondence, Mr. Buxton thinks it highly desirable that everything possible should be done to remove this deadlock, and that, if Sir Edward Grey sees no objection, a further representation should be made to the Chinese Government with a view to their acceptance of the compromise proposed by Japan. Japan, at the suggestion of His Majesty's Government, has made large concessions; and the consequences to China which would arise from the non-acceptance of the Japanese proposal, through the termination of the Russo-Chinese Agreement concerning the North Manchurian telegraphs, and, in other ways, would probably be much more damaging than any which are likely to follow from its acceptance. In particular, Japan might claim a free hand with regard to the laying and working of the proposed Dalny-Chefoo cable. It is right to say, however, that Mr. Buxton has no reason to suppose that this course of action has occurred to the Japanese Government; and he thinks it would be undesirable for His Majesty's Government to do anything which might have the effect of suggesting it to them.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
H. BABINGTON SMITH,
[1865 p-1]
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