[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.?
4
Young Yuan tells me that he expects trouble. The reactionary Manchus are in the ascendant, and most Chinese officials do not feel safe under the new régime of the Regent, who seems to be actuated by sudden impulses and to resent advice. He says that Tang Shao-i is in a very critical position, and that he, Yuan, would not be surprised if he remained in America. He also said that this wholesale dismissal of Chinese statesmen would very likely cause trouble before long. I should not be surprised if Yuan, the father, were to go abroad very shortly on the pretext of employing the leisure which his retirement affords him of studying European Constitutions for himself. I have little doubt that he will, at any rate, go to Hong Kong if matters look threatening for his personal safety.
All this story was told me by young Yuan in confidence, but in writing so freely to you upon what he said, I feel I am only passing on his confidence to a safe quarter, and that you will keep the information and the source from whence it comes to yourself. I do not of course wish to make a reservation as to what part of this information you may think it advisable to communicate confidentially to the Foreign Office.
Making every allowance for the nervousness which young Yuan naturally displays for his father's safety, it seems to me that the present outlook is very unsatisfactory, and that any further wholesale assertion of Manchu supremacy may give rise to serious trouble outside Peking. It will not be Yuan who will make the trouble, however. I gain the impression that he has done with political life for good.
Yours sincerely, (Signed)
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
WALTER C. HILLIER.
Joint Note communicated by Sir J. Jordan to the Wai-wu Pu.
HIS Majesty's Minister begs the Wai-wu Pu to be so good as to convey to His Imperial Highness the Prince Regent an expression of the apprehensions which the departure of his Excellency Yuan Shih-kai from the Grand Council has caused His Majesty's Government.
The departure of his Excellency, who was universally regarded as one of the chief pioneers of the cause of progress in China, at a moment when the deaths of their Imperial Majesties have drawn the eyes of the whole civilized world upon China, might conceivably be construed in an unfavourable sense, and have the effect of diminishing the confidence with which the Powers have followed the political and economic development of the Chinese Empire, and were disposed to co-operate to that cud.
The Powers would be glad if the subsequent course of events should dissipate their apprehensions, and thus enable them to maintain unimpaired the friendly sympathy which they entertain towards China under the Government of the Prince Regent.
[B]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[7735]
C.O.
8782
[February 26.]
RECR
Rea! 12 MAR 09
SECTION 1.
No. 1.
Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan,
(No. 55. Confidential.) Sir,
Foreign Office, February 26, 1909. AT my request the Chinese Special Envoy, Tong Shao-yi, came to see me on the
11th instant.
He had expressed his wish to study finance and currency questions here, and I ascertained that he had been received by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and had been put into communication with Sir George Murray and Mr. Chalmers and had seen over the Mint.
He expressed gratitude for the facilities which had been given him, and remarked that our currency system seemed to be very simple.
He showed no desire to discuss any Chinese questions, and evidently did not feel himself in a position to deal with them on behalf of the Chinese Government.
I thought it better to mention our views on various questions in case his position in Chinese politics should again become more important, but as he evidently considered himself not in a position to discuss these questions, our conversation was rather leisurely and academic.
We
I impressed upon him the importance of the currency question in China. were interested in it because it affected our trade, but it was most important for the whole prosperity of China.
He told me that the Chinese attached importance to the raising of the customs dues and the abolition of li-kin,
If
I pointed out that these matters concerned other countries as well as us. anything was to be done about the customs dues, we should expect the currency question and the Mining Regulations to be put on a satisfactory footing, as contemplated by the Mackay Treaty.
I said I thought our relations with China had steadily improved during the last few years.
He cordially admitted this, and expressed appreciation of our attitude.
I had felt it necessary that China should keep the promises she had made with regard to certain British Concessions. But I quité uuderstood, and, if I looked at the matter from a Chinese point of view, I very much sympathized with their desire not to give any Concessions in the future which would place railways and enterprises of that nature in the hands of foreigners, but to keep these things in their own hands. For this reason I had carefully avoided asking for anything new which was likely to be disagreeable to Chincse sentiment.
He remarked that most of the old Concessions had now been arranged, though there were one or two still outstanding. I mentioned the Anhui Mining Concession as one which it would be desirable to settle, though of course I knew that the settlement must be in the nature of a compromise. I had thought that Lord Li had already settled this matter, and I hoped it would soon be arranged.
I then impressed upon him how desirable it would be that when China borrowed money it should be for special purposes, such as the construction of railways, on which the money should be actually spent, for if China raised loans which were not devoted to the development of the country, she would impoverish her credit, whereas if the money borrowed were spent on actual works which developed the country, the credit of China would be increased, and she would be able to borrow money when she needed it.
He replied that be quite agreed that borrowed money should be spent in this way. There was, however, a difficulty, because the Chinese feared that, if they accepted conditions as to the works on which money was to be spent, the final result would be that these works would be owned by the foreigners who lent the money. He mentioned that in the case of one loan a difficulty had arisen, because it had not been
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