CO129-383 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 440

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may be hoped that on the return of the expeditions to the unadministered territory an effort will be made to recapitulate the whole question of the Burmah-China frontier, and to make a final effort to induce the Chinese Government to recognise and respect a clearly defined boundary-line.

Frontier Tour.

I had hoped to extend my tour during the open season along the whole of the northern frontier as far as Manang Pum, but pressure of business detained me in Tengyuch until too late, and my journey was eventually restricted to a very rough and very hurried march along that section of the border opposite Myitkyina, where a number of new forts were reported to be under construction. I succeeded in tracing five of them, all situated in desolate and difficult positions, and approached by paths which were evidently not intended to facilitate questions of transport. Starting from Hou-chiao, the most northerly post, I made a zigzag course along the Chinese side of the border, eventually reaching Sima in time for the first frontier meeting. It is difficult to gather the precise idea of the Chinese in building these five posts; they certainly command paths by which the frontier could be crossed, but the difficulties of nature would prove à far more serious obstacle to an advancing army than those little posts each with a handful of men. The country is always wild and very difficult, in places open and rugged with bracken-covered hills and an occasional clump of pines, or again plunging into a tangle of bamboo brake and almost pathless jungle, the passes crossed only by precipitous Lisu paths, whilst swaying Liana bridges provide a perilous passage above the mountain torrents. I took no escort with me, feeling sure of a welcome from the Lisus and Kachins, and for ten days I was unexpectedly cut off from my caravan by impassable tracks, and thus left without a tent and with but little in the way of provisions. It was generally possible to obtain shelter for the night in some Lisu hut, but when this simple hospitality failed we managed to spend the night in the open, sheltered from the wind by a bank or clump of trees and warmed with a big camp fire. When definite news of the Myitkyina column had been received by the Chinese they insisted that there would be grave danger in travelling among these tribesmen, who were reported to be greatly excited, but I have learned that one's movements and sources of information are much hampered by a guard of Chinese soldiers, and on this journey I met the usual hospitality, good-will and warm welcome from the people of every tribe, and I am confident that they would never make trouble unless directly incited to do so by the Chinese officials. For a few days after our first frontier meeting I travelled through the country of the Mong-ka (Shen Fu-kaan) Fayi, whose people are chiefly Lisu or Kachin tribesmen, and, as he accompanied me himself, I had an opportunity of gathering some idea as to the administration of his district, which is nominally under the direct government of the Tengyueh sub-prefect. For the first time in the course of my frontier wanderings firewood and water were refused to the party, and the young Fuyi was obliged to ask for my intervention in dealing with his refractory subjects. I eventually agreed to say a few words to the head of the village, who reluctantly appeared with a crowd of truculent and fully-armed Kachins at his back. His opposition gave way at once before a little definite expostulation, and, whilst our immediate needs were met with alacrity, the Fuyi gratefully informed me that he had managed to collect arrears of tribute which had been withheld by the village for several years. So successful indeed was this first act of intervention that he begged me to interview the heads of every village that we passed, but I did not see my way to interfering further in the internal affairs of his little State. He grew very confidential however in the course of the journey, complaining bitterly of the treatment which he received from his Chinese superiors; they hold him responsible for the payment of a fixed annual revenue, but make no attempt to strengthen his hands in any way; they leave him only sufficient funds to eke out a comfortless existence and to maintain about half-a-dozen retainers for the policing and revenue collection of a State through which we marched for three days; they never visit the country, and they make no attempt to assist him in maintaining order among his people.

In spite of the fact that the tribute claimed from the tribal villages on the Chinese side of the frontier is very much less than that on the British side, I found the Kachins and Lisus living in the greatest poverty and lawlessness as compared with their prosperous and orderly British neighbours; no attempt has been made by the Chinese to build roads, to encourage trade, to enforce order or to administer justice, and it is clear that their ideas of tribal administration have advanced little

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beyond the deflection of all available revenues from the pockets of the local chiefs to the coffers of the Chinese magistrates. The districts through which I travelled during my tour were seldom more than 50 miles from the Tengyuch centre, where Chinese rule is strengthened by a considerable garrison and full civil authority. With definite proof that the administration of the tribesmen in these districts is such an empty farce, it can scarcely be expected that we shall give much heed to their protestations that they are able and willing to extend an effective administration to the lawless tribes of the remoter regions bordering the undelimited northern frontier. I recognise fully their desire to extend their administrative area, and proof is not wanting that serious attempts have been made, especially by the Frontier Deputy Chao, to improve the condition of the border tribes in certain isolated instances, but adminis- trative aspirations are unreasonable and administrative claims uutenable to the west of the watershed, whilst so wide a belt of country still exists between Tengyuch or Yüng-chang Fu (Pao-shan) and the northern undelimited frontier with no pretence to an effective administrative machinery.

The Sima Frontier Meeting.

The frontier meeting for the Myitkyina district commenced on the 15th December, and lasted only four days. There were present :--

Captain Bazett, acting deputy commissioner, Myitkyina; Mr. V. Clerk, assistant superintendent, Sadou; Captain Batten, assistant superintendent, Sima; and The cousul.

The Chinese representatives were—

Chao Kai-hsuan, frontier deputy; and Colonel Chung, from Manwyne.

We had had so entirely successful a meeting last year that the Chinese were obviously disappointed when they found that Mr. Hertz had left, but they welcomed an old friend in Mr. Clerk, and before they left I think they were reassured as to the continued friendship of Myitkyina, for the meeting was again a very happy one. Only seventeen cases were down for hearing, and they were all settled without difficulty, the Deputy Chao conducting his work in a most business-like and satisfactory way. There is no doubt that he really likes and respects the British officials with whom his work lies, and that the respect is mutual. Throughout the two seasons during which we have worked together he has proved himself an exceedingly able, courteous, aud straightforward colleague, and it is vastly instructive to watch him taking a Chinese case. In all the troubles of the past year he has used the most earnest endeavours to persuade the total to a more reasonable policy. and, now that the tide has turned, it is evident that he speaks with authority, and that the taotai is greatly influenced by his opinion. There is little doubt that the favourable settlements which have recently been effected at Tengyueh are mainly due to his exertions, and I feel that we owe a debt of gratitude to those officers of the Myitkyina district who have been at such pains to win his respect and confidence during his frontier carcer.

Social relations at this meeting were very cordial in spite of the fact that the Deputy Chao regretted that Mr. Hertz should so far have outraged their mutual friendship as to convey troops to the neighbourhood of Pien-ma. Captain Bazett, although new to the frontier, entered into the spirit of the meeting with admirable tact, and there is no doubt that the good impression created last year has been thoroughly renewed. The happy results of personal relations and mutual confidence have shown themselves very clearly during the past year; current cases have been dealt with promptly as they arose, and there was no actual need for a meeting save for the very excellent and most important reason of all-that of renewing and continuing the good work and genial personal relations commenced by last year's gathering.

Namkham Frontier Meeting.

The frontier meeting for the Bhamo and Lashio districts commenced at Namkham on the 7th January, and continued until the 22nd. There were present :-

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