CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 104

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

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AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[16005]

No. 1.

(May 2 JUN 10

SECTION 4.

(No. 120.) Sir,

Mr. Max Müller to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received May 9.)

Peking, April 22, 1910. WITH reference to my telegram No. 80 of the 19th instant, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch which I addressed to Vice-Admiral Sir A. Winsloe on the 19th instant, explaining the reasons which made it desirable that a British man-of-war of some size should be stationed for the present at Hankow.

In reply to my telegram of the same date, the admiral telegraphed that His Majesty's ship "Cadmus " had left Wuhu for Hankow on the 18th instant, and would be retained at the latter port until the country had settled down. The "Cadmus" is a screw sloop of 1,070 tons; while the "Alger," the ship detached from the French squadron to protect French interests at Hankow, is an old-fashioned cruiser of some size; and the American admiral proposes, so my American colleague tells me, to send a second class cruiser to Hankow. I therefore enquired of his Majesty's consul- general at Hankow by telegraph whether he considered that the "Cadmus" would be sufficient, and he replied that he was not prepared to declare the presence of a larger ship essential at the present moment.

In view of Mr. Fraser's opinion, I have not felt justified in again suggesting to Admiral Winsloe that a ship larger than the "Cadmus" should be sent to Hankow, but my personal opinion is that, in view of our predominant interests in the Yang-tsze Valley, it would have been preferable that the British ship should have been at least as large as the other foreign war-ships sent to protect their respective national interests at Hankow.

I have the honour to enclose copy of a despatch received since writing the above from His Majesty's consul-general at Hankow in which, after giving his impressions based on the reports of foreign eye-witnesses as to the origin and nature of the outbreak at Changsha, and stating his reasons for thinking that the disturbances may spread to other cities, especially to the triple city of Hankow, Wuchang, and Hanyang, he finishes up by saying that though he does not consider the dispatch of a large man-of-war to Hankow absolutely necessary as yet, its presence there would relieve the minds of Chinese and foreigners of anxiety, and would minimise the chance of disturbance.

I have, &c.

W. G. MAX MÜLLER.

Sir,

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

Mr. Max Müller to Vice-Admiral Sir A. Winsloe.

Peking, April 19, 1910. I HAD the honour to inform you to-day by telegraph that His Majesty's consul general at Hankow considered it advisable that a British ship of some size should be stationed off that city during the present crisis occasioned by the riots at Changsha, " should be I added that the French Minister had requested that the cruiser "Alger sent to Hankow, and stated that it was desirable, in view of our predominant interests at that port and in the Yang-tsze Valley generally, that we should be equally well represented. I have since heard that an American cruiser has also been ordered to Hankow.

Your Excellency is no doubt already fully aware of the fact that the situation on the Yang-tsze has for some months been considered by those most competent to judge as giving cause for anxiety. The riots at Changsha have, in the opinion of His Majesty's consul-general, greatly increased the risks of trouble at Hankow, and any popular movement in China, even if primarily directed against the Chinese authorities, is almost sure, like at Changsha, to involve destruction of foreign property and dauger to foreign lives, unless adequate measures of protection are adopted beforehand.

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