[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[25903]
No. 1.
221
[July 3.]
SECTION 5
24603
27.11
Acting Consul Rose to Foreign Office.-(Received July 3.) (Separate. Confidential.) Dear Sir,
Rangoon, June 8, 1911.
I AM sending you copy of a semi-official letter, which I am addressing to Sir John Jordan, giving him all possible information which I have been able to gather in regard to recent developments on the Burmah-China frontier, after consultation with the Burmah officials. I attach also copy of a letter from Mr. Perronne* which may be of interest to you in relation to events in Yünnanese Thibet. I am leaving this morning for India on my way home, travelling through Kashmis and Kashgaria.
Yours very truly,
ARCHIBALD ROSE.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Acting Consul Rose to Sir J. Jordan,
Dear Sir John,
I HAVE spent a fortnight in Burmah settling up a few outstanding questions at
Rangoon, June 5, 1911. Myitkyina and taking the opportunity to discuss our frontier problems with the lieutenant-governor and Thompson, the chief secretary, as well as with Hertz, who has just returned from his visit to the unadministered territory. Before starting on my journey home I should like to give you a brief résumé of affairs, and to place you in as good a position as possible in regard to local information. I believe that the lieutenant-governor concurs in my views on the general frontier situation, but I must submit them to you on my own responsibility, as some of the events are too recent to have received full consideration, and the Government of Burmah will probably await further information before committing themselves to any definite policy.
Undelimited Frontier North of Myitkyina.
2. The first and most important question is naturally that of the unadministered territory and the section of the undelimited frontier lying to the north of Myitkyina. Hertz's column appears to have done excellent work, and you will doubtless receive a copy of the report which has just been submitted. I enclose a map which will give a rough idea of the work accomplished and the general conclusions in regard to the future of the frontier. The whole of the red area has now been taken under a provisional administration, and a post has been established at Lau-Khaung with a civil officer and 125 military police under two military officers, whilst a good road has been pushed up as far as the post. It is under consideration to continue this road from Lau-Khaung to the neighbourhood of Htawgaw during the next open season.
3. You will notice that Pienma (Hpimaw) and Kangfang are excluded from the administered area. Hertz bas found a well-defined and lofty range dividing this tract from the newly administered area, and linking up on the north with the Irrawaddy- Salween watershed. He considers that this would form a satisfactory and defensible frontier if necessary, and seems inclined to think that, in view of well-substantiated Chinese claims, no further effort should be made to absorb the Pienma tract. I gather that the Government of Burmah might be willing to consider this recomnien- dation if all attempts to arrange a lease should fail, though the tract has recently gained a new significance from the fact that it commands the best route into the country lying to the north of it.
4. North of this Pienma tract there lies the territory of the Black Marus, and, as no claim has yet been advanced to their country by the Chinese, and as the Lisus of
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