CO129-416 - Public Offices - 1914 — Page 214

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THIRD REVISE FOR PARLIAMENT.

March 1014.

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11005

REC?

PEGO 25 MAR 14

Further Correspondence respecting the Affairs of China.

[In continuation of "China, No. 3 (1913)": Cd. 7054.]

[232]

No. 1.

210

(No. 496.) Sir,

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received January 2, 1913.)

Peking, December 18, 1912. I HAD the honour to receive your despatch requesting to be furnished with my observations regarding the proposals made by the War Office for the trooping season, September 1913 to March 1914.

As I had the honour to report in my telegram No. 253 of the 6th instant,* I do not consider that it would be wise to dispense with any of the additional troops now serving in China. It is almost impossible to make a forecast of what troops may be required in China nearly a year hence, but I have no hesitation in saying that, for the present at any rate, no portion of the forces in the North China command could be safely removed.

With regard to the southern command, it would seem from the information in my possession that the retention of the additional British troops in that quarter is as necessary as it is in the north.

I have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

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No. 6.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received January 11, 1913.) (No. 509.) Sir,

Peking, December 26, 1912. WITH reference to my despatch No. 503 of the 17th December, 1911, I have the honour to report that in June last the Chinese Government delegated full authority to the then Tutu of Shanghai, Ch'en Ch'i-mei, to settle with the consular body the terms under which the former Taotai's securities held in trust by the senior consul would be restored to the Chinese authorities. The Diplomatic Body sanctioned a proposal for drawing against these securities to the extent of paying off the principal (without interest) due on outstanding native orders and certain mixed court charges, the remainder of the securities to be restored to the Tutu.

In August, with the departure from Shanghai of Ch'en Ch'i-mei, the Wai-chiao Pu informed me that they had transferred his authority to the Tutu of Kiangsu. Some difficulty arose at first owing to the desire of the former Tutu Liu and Dr. Sun Yat Sen to take part in the negotiations. The consular body, however, dealt direct with the local commissioner of foreign affairs, Mr. Ivan Chen, who had been delegated by the Kiangsu Tutu to affect a settlement. This was finally accomplished at the end

* See "China, No. 3 (1913)," No. 71.

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† See China, No. 8 (1912)," No, $2.

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