CO129-360 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 20

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

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AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL,

19

1188

[December 14.

SECTION 1.

[43554]

No. 1.

Sir C. MacDonald to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received December 14.)

(No. 288. Confidential.) Sir,

Tokió, November 6, 1908. WITH reference to Sir John Jordan's despatch No. 427 to you of the 24th September, reporting the substance of several conversations he had with his Excellency Tong-Shaoyi, I have the honour to report that this statesman arrived in Japan on the 11th October and left on the 5th November.

During his stay here his Excellency was the object of much courteous attention on the part of the Japanese anthorities, and was entertained by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and other high officials; he was also received in audience by the Emperor.

In the course of a long interview I had with his Excellency, he reminded me that we had last met in Seoul in 1897, when I went there to present my credentials to the then Emperor. At this time his Excellency was acting as Chinese Representative

in Corea.

I was aware that during the Boxer troubles Tong-Shaoyi was besieged in Tien-tsin while I was undergoing a similar experience in Peking, but I did not know, until he told me during the interview, of the exceptionally bitter experiences which he himself had undergone. During these troubles the position of Cantonese-his Excellency is from that province-was a particularly disagreeable one, for they were looked upon with detestation by the Boxers, Manchus, and Northern Chinese generally, and being Chinese, with great suspicion by foreigners, who were unable to differentiate between North and South. A shell from the Boxer lines struck his house and killed his wife and one of his children; shortly afterwards he was arrested by the British authorities and sentenced to be shot by a drum-head court-martial on the charge--an utterly groundless one-of being in communication with the Boxers and having signalled to them to fire lower! The English firing party in command of an officer was detached, and Tong- Shaoyi was waiting to be led to the execution ground when his life was saved by a Major Luke, of the Royal Marines, who happened to recognize him as he was about to be marched off. His Excellency was of opinion that the Dowager Empress and the pro-foreign party in the Government at Peking were about to deal energetically with the Boxers, and that the rising would consequently have collapsed but for the action of the Admirals in attacking the Taku forts, which, being an act of war, gave the anti-foreign party the excuse they wanted, and the Imperial army was directed to side with the Boxers instead of being used against them. I have no hesitation in saying, judging from my experience in Peking, that this contention is correct. His Excellency spoke very frankly regarding his mission, which would seem to have more connection with Europe and America than with Japan. To America and the various countries in Europe which he proposed to visit, I gathered, from what his Excellency said, that he had credentials as an Ambassador, but in Japan, he had no particular status.

My French colleague told me confidentially, some days before the arrival of Tong- Shaoyi, that the French Legation at Peking had informed him that his Excellency carried with him credentials as Ambassador to England and America, and that therefore the raising of the Legations at London and Washington to Embassies was contemplated. I sounded his Excellency on this point. Without absolutely denying the proposition, he said that the Court etiquette of China raised almost insurmountable difficulties in the way, for the foreign Envoys would naturally desire Ambassadorial privileges in communicating with the Emperor, which, at present at any rate, could not be arranged. With regard to China's relations with Japan, his Excellency said that he was pleased to say that a better feeling prevailed, and he had been struck with the earnest desire of the Japanese to smooth matters over and meet China half-way. The Yalu Forest difficulty had been amicably settled; the Manchuriau telegraphs question had practically been disposed of. With regard to the proposed Tsing-min-tung-Fakumen Railway, he had had an interview with Count Komura, and had asked whether it was the wish of the

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