48
2
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Statement by Li Yau-heng.
KWONG SAI, Phang-sheung Chau, hereditary Government officer. Joined Kak-meng-thong (revolutionary sect) 6th moon last year. I was being superseded by the Chinese Government. I was the Commander at the attack on the fort, commanded the western attack. Wong Meng Tong was my second in command. Ho Ng commanded the Cheng Nam Kwan division. We attacked from three directions. I had four files of eight men with twelve rifles. Wong Meng Tong had six files with twenty-two rifles and Ho Ng had three files with twelve rifles.
We only had thirty rifles. We captured three forts. I took the middle one. Meng Tong the north one and Ho Ng the southern one. Each fort had a garrison of nine men. They all surrendered and joined us in all twenty-nine men with twenty-nine rifles (ten shot-repeaters). We took the forts at daybreak 27th of 10th moon. On the same day 1,200 men attacked us, and up to the 1st of 11th moon 2,000 more joined the enemy and surrounded us. We were fighting seven days and nights. With the forts we captured three 80-pr. breech-loader guns, four muzzle-loaders, three big brass guns, one machine gun, and plenty of ammunition. In these seven days I had two men killed and two wounded. We killed over 200 Manchus. Finally, when we ran short of rifle ammunition, we had to leave the fort. We left at night on the 4th at 3 P.M. We were fired on and fired back. We broke through and reached the border, 3 kilom. away.
We came into Manyun and the French put us in the train for Hanoi. The French did not see the rifles. The men with them gave them to others who went to another place. The French had a European "four stripes" and some native soldiers, perhaps 100. Before we started we were told that if we were defeated we must not recross the French border with rifles. That is why we hid them. Dr. Sun told us so. On the night of the 29th Dr. Sun and the "four stripes" came to us in the fort. We were fighting and the French officer fired three rounds for us.
He aimed for us at the General's staff quarters. The second shot fell in the back of it. On the 1st he and Dr. Sun left together. The Manchu troops had not then surrounded us. They had six Annamite soldiers with them. Dr. Sun had several Chinese students with him. At Hanoi we were met by French officials and Yun Kat Theng, our manager, and Yeong Shau Phang, his assistant, were sent for and told to find a home for us. The manager did so and paid us 3 dollars a-month and our food. Then there was a good deal of negotiating between China and France about us.
The French refused to give us up. Shortly after Wong Meng Tong went up to Yaunan and captured Ho-kau. A Taotai Wong was killed. Then China pressed the French again about us, and after more correspondence the French promised to send us away. Yun Yat Theng told us that we were to be sent to Singapore, a British Colony where Dr. Sun was, where he and the staff of the Singapore newspaper "Chong Shing Tao" would look after us. Consequently we came here. I ask that we may be allowed to stay here and be released.
We were told that the newspaper would be security for us. If we cannot be allowed to remain here we should like to return to Hanoi. We only want to land here and then gradually work back to Hanoi and China. We were promised protection by the French authorities, or we would not have dared to use French territory for attacking China.
We met for the attack on the border. The French knew what we were going to do. They had telegraphed to the Taotai that an attack was intended, but he did nothing, or we could not have taken the forts. It was he who has been promoted for recapturing the forts. If the French had tried to stop us we should not have dared to do anything. They said that it was no business of theirs. Our whole force was 104 men. If I had had more rifles I should have gone on and taken Lung-chau. We did have some talk with one or two of the sergeants in the forts before we attacked them. They wanted 500 dollars for surrendering them. Ever since the Sung Dynasty, over 800 years, my family have been the hereditary officers in the district, and I would never have turned against the Government if a Manchu official (a Chinese) had not been sent who took away my land and everything belonging to me and tried to harm my wife and family. There are nineteen of us hereditary officers and eleven have been abolished. My family is now safe in French territory.
May 20, 1908.
(
$
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
French Minister to Prince Ch'ing.
Monseigneur,
[Undated.] A MESURE que parviennent à notre connaissance les résultats de l'enquête contradictoire menée par les Délégués de nos deux Gouvernements sur l'attentat de Phalong, la gravité de celui-ci apparaît de plus en plus grande, et la responsabilité des autorités Chinoises de plus en plus engagée.
Ayant violé la frontière Française pour poursuivre les révolutionnaires du Yunnan, et s'étant avancés très loin sur le territoire Français, les réguliers Chinois ont ouvert le feu sur un détachement Français qui désarmait ces révolutionnaires, et ils ont continué la fusillade malgré l'avis répété qu'ils avaient en face d'eux des soldats Français du poste de Phalong; puis, comme les Français, ne voulant pas riposter, se retiraient à l'intérieur des maisons du village Français de Laoka pour échapper au feu meurtrier des réguliers Chinois, ceux-ci envahirent ces maisons et là à bout portant - Ce lâche assassinat est tué le Lieutenant Weigand et trois de ses hommes.
encore rendu plus odieux par le fait que les réguliers Chinois emportèrent de Laoka comme trophées les têtes de trois soldats Français qu'ils avaient tués dans les champs avoisinant le village.
J'ai en l'honneur de remettre au Wai-wou Pou il y a quelques jours un Mémorandum relatant ces douloureuses nouvelles, et je ne doute point qu'à leur lecture votre Altesse n'ait reconnu la nécessité de ne pas faire attendre plus longtemps à la France les légitimes réparations que j'ai, en son nom, réclamées du Gouvernement Chinois dès le 13 du mois dernier.
Ces réparations sont——
1. La punition des officiers et des soldats Chinois coupables des attentats commis sur le territoire Français.
2. Le déplacement du Vice-Roi du Yunnan, Si-Léang, qui, paresseusement terré à Tonghai - c'est-à-dire, à plus de cinq jours de distance de tout endroit où se soient montrés les révolutionnaires - a laissé par son incurie et son incapacité les événements prendre un si triste cours.
3. Une indemnité de 250,000 fr. pour les victimes des attentats commis par les réguliers Chinois, ou pour les familles de celles-ci.
4. Le respect et la garantie des droits concédés à des Français dans la Province du Yunnan, notamment à la Société du Lin Can, au Syndicat Minier du Yünnan, et à la Compagnie du Chemin de Fer; les derniers troubles ont causé aux entreprises et travaux de ces diverses Associations des pertes matérielles graves, dont la responsabilité retombe encore sur son Excellence Si-Léang ou ses subordonnés, et dont le Gouvernement Français se réserve de demander le dédommagement.
Trop de semaines se sont déjà écoulées depuis que le sang Français a été versé, sans qu'aucune réparation effective ait été donnée à la France par le Gouvernement Chinois; un plus long délai, surtout après les tristes détails qui viennent d'être mis au jour par l'enquête, pourrait donner lieu à des interprétations que votre Altesse, j'en suis sûr, a autant à cœur que moi d'éviter. Aussi, je ne doute pas qu'elle ne hâte de tout son pouvoir l'octroi à la France des demandes présentées par mon entremise au Wai-won Pou il y a déjà plus de six semaines, et que je suis chargé de renouveler aujourd'hui.
Inclosure 3 in No 1.
Extract of Letter from Singapore Official.
We
SUN YAT SEN is living here very quietly and trying, without much success, to collect money.
His following among the local Chinese is of the very smallest. We have warned him that, in case of trouble, we shall imitate Hong Kong and deport him. We had six more "révolutionnaires" the other day from Hanoi, and have declined to take any more.
These had been concerned in an attack upon Fengsheng, in the Canton Province, on the 3rd September, 1907, and had been arrested on the 20th October, 1907, in Tonquin for non-payment of poll-tax, and interned until now. From the statements made to me by all these men, there is not the slightest doubt that the French knew what Yat Sen and his party were doing, and that they deliberately allowed them to do it. The conclusion seems obvious that they hoped to get political gains, Railway Concessions, and such-like, by subsequently undertaking to alter their course of action.
48
2
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Statement by Li Yau-heng.
KWONG SAI, Phang-sheung Chau, hereditary Government officer. Joined Kak-meng-thong (revolutionary sect) 6th moon last year. I was being superseded by the Chinese Government. I was the Commander at the attack on the fort, commanded the western attack. Wong Meng Tong was my second in command. Ho Ng commanded the Cheng Nam Kwan division. We attacked from three directions. I had four files of eight men with twelve rifles. Wong Meng Tong had six files with twenty-two rifles and Ho Ng had three files with twelve rifles.
We only had thirty rifles. We captured three forts. I took the middle one. Meng Tong the north one and Io Ng the southern one. Each fort had a garrison of nine men. They all surrendered and joined us in all twenty-nine men with twenty-nine rifles (ten shot-repeaters). We took the forts at daybreak 27th of 10th moon. On the same day 1,200 men attacked us, and up to the 1st of 11th moon 2,000 more joined the enemy and surrounded us. We were fighting seven days and nights. With the forts we captured three 80-pr. breech-loader guns, four muzzle-loaders, three big brass guns, one machine gun, and plenty of ammunition. In these seven days I had two men killed and two wounded. We killed over 200 Manchus. Finally, when we ran short of rifle ammunition, we had to leave the fort. We left at night on the 4th at 3 P.M. We were fired on and fired back. We broke through and reached the border, 3 kilom. away,
We come into Manyun and the French put us in the train for Hanoi. The French did not see the rifles. The men with them gave them to others who went to another place. The French had a European "four stripes" and some native soldiers, perhaps 100. Before we started we were told that if we were defeated we must not recross the French border with rifles. That is why we hid them. Dr. Sun told us so. On the night of the 29th Dr. Sun and the "four stripes' came to us in the fort. We were fighting and the French officer fired three rounds for us.
He aimed for us at the General's staff quarters. The second shot fell in the back of it. On the 1st he and Dr. Sun left together. The Manchu troops had not then surrounded us. They had six Annamite soldiers with them. Dr. Sun had several Chinese students with him. At Hanoi we were met by French officials and Yun Kat Theng, our manager, and Yeong Shau Phang, his assistant, were sent for and told to find a home for us. The manager did so and paid us 3 dollars a-month and our food. Then there was a good deal of negotiating between China and France about us.
The French refused to give us up. Shortly after Wong Meng Tong went up to Yaunan and captured Ho-kau. A Taotai Wong was killed. Then China pressed the French again about us, and after more correspondence the French promised to send us away. Yun Yat Theng told us that we were to be sent to Singapore, a British Colony where Dr. Sun was, where he and the staff of the Singapore newspaper "Chong Shing Tao" would look after us. Consequently we came here. I ask that we may be allowed to stay here and be released.
We were
told that the newspaper would be security for us. If we cannot be allowed to remain here we should like to return to Hanoi. We only want to land here and then gradually work back to Hanoi and China. We were promised protection by the French authorities, or we would not have dared to use French territory for attacking China.
We met for the attack on the border. The French knew what we were going to do. They had telegraphed to the Taotai that an attack was intended, but he did nothing, or we could not have taken the forts. It was he who has been promoted for recapturing the forts. If the French had tried to stop us we should not have dared to do anything. They said that it was no business of theirs. Our whole force was 104 men. If I had had more rifles I should have gone on and taken Lung-chau, We did have some talk with one or two of the sergeants in the forts before we attacked them. They wanted 500 dollars for surrendering them. Ever since the Sung Dynasty, over 800 years, my family have been the hereditary officers in the district, and I would never have turned against the Government if a Manchau official (a Chinese) had not been sent who took away my land and everything belonging to me and tried to harm my wife and family. There are nineteen of us hereditary officers and eleven have been abolished. My family is now safe in French territory.
May 20, 1908.
(
$
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Frenck Minister to Prince Ch'ing.
Monseigneur,
[Undated.] A MESURE que parviennent à notre connaissance les résultats de l'enquête contradictoire menée par les Délégués de nos deux Gouvernements sur l'attentat de Phalong, la gravité de celui-ci apparaît de plus en plus grande, et la responsabilité des autorités Chinoises de plus en plus engagée.
Ayant violé la frontière Française pour poursuivre les révolutionnaires du Yunnan, et s'étant avancés très loin sur le territoire Français, les réguliers Chinois ont ouvert le feu sur un détachement Français qui désarmait ces révolutionnaires, et ils ont continué la fusillade malgré l'avis répété qu'ils avaient en face d'eux des soldats Français du poste de Phalong; puis, comme les Français, ne voulant pas riposter, se retiraient à l'intérieur des maisons du village Français de Laoka pour échapper an fea meurtrier des réguliers Chinois, ceux-ci envahirent ces maisons et là à bout portant- Ce lâche assassinat est tuèrent le Lieutenant Weigand et trois de ses hommes.
encore rendu plus odieux par le fait que les réguliers Chinois emportèrent de Laoka comme trophées les têtes de trois soldats Français qu'ils avaient tués dans les champs avoisinant le village.
J'ai en l'honneur de remettre au Wai-wou Pou il y a quelques jours un Mémorandum relatant ces douloureuses nouvelles, et je ne doute point qu'à leur lecture votre Altesse n'ait reconnu la nécessité de ne pas faire attendre plus longtemps à la France les légitimes réparations que j'ai, en son nom, réclamées du Gouvernement Chinois dès le 13 du mois dernier.
Ces réparations sont——
1. La punition des officiers et des soldats Chinois coupables des attentats commis sur le territoire Français.
2. Le déplacement du Vice-Roi du Yunnan, Si-Léang, qui, paresseusement terré à Tonghai-c'est-à-dire, à plus de cinq jours de distance de tout endroit où se soient montrés les révolutionnaires--a laissé par son incurie et son incapacité les événements prendre un si triste cours.
3. Une indemnité de 250,000 fr. pour les victimes des attentats commis réguliers Chinois, ou pour les familles de celles-ci.
par
les
4. Le respect et la garautie des droits concédés à des Français dans la Province du Yunnan, notamment à la Société du Lin Can, au Syndicat Minier du Yünnan, et à la Compagnie du Chemin de Fer; les derniers troubles ont causé aux entreprises et travaux de ces diverses Associations des pertes matérielles graves, dont la responsabilité retombe encore sur son Excellence Si-Léang ou ses subordonnés, et dont le Gouverne- ment Français se réserve de demander le dédommagement.
Trop de semaines se sont déjà écoulées depuis que le sang Français a été versé, sans qu'aucune réparation effective ait été donnée à la France par le Gouvernement Chinois; un plus long délai, surtout après les tristes détails qui viennent d'être mis au jour par l'enquête, pourrait donner lieu à des interprétations que votre Altesse, j'en suis sûr, a autant à cœur que moi d'éviter. Aussi, je ne doute pas qu'elle ne hâte de tout son pouvoir l'octroi à la France des demandes préscutées par mon entremise au Wai-won Pou il y a déjà plus de six semaines, et que je suis chargé de renouveler aujourd'hui.
Inclosure 3 in No 1.
Extract of Letter from Singapore Official.
We
SUN YAT SEN is living here very quietly and trying, without much success, to collect money.
Ilis following among the local Chinese is of the very smallest. have warned him that, in case of trouble, we shall imitate Hong Kong and deport him. We had six more révolutionnaires" the other day from Hanoi, and have declined to take any more.
These had been concerned in an attack upon Fengsheng,
in the Canton Province, on the 3rd September, 1907, and had been arrested on the 20th October, 1907, in Tonquin for non-payment of poll-tax, and interned until now. From the statements made to me by all these men, there is not the slightest doubt that the French knew what Yat Sen and his party were doing, and that they deliberately allowed them to do it, The conclusion seems obvious that they hoped to get political gains, Railway Concessions, and such-like, by subsequently undertaking to alter their course of action.
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