218
CHINA BLUE-BOOK NO. 7.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[September 28, 1901.
seems to be quite an inversion of the intentions might be with regard to land on ordinary view of vested interests, he wrote, the opposite side of the river, it could (Daily Press, 26th September.);
which can allow the Russian Government scarcely be to their interest to molest us as In the Blue-book on China No. 7 (1901), to take advantage of the present complica- they were doing. We explained that our issued last month, under the title of Corres- tions to acquire gratis a piece of land which objects were by no means obstructive, as British subjects Tave made valuable by any scheme for improvement would be pondence respecting the Imperial Railways
likely to enhance the value of our property. of North China, official particulars are at forty years of effort.
On the 20th November, Lord SALISBURY Briefly, the result of our interview was that length given of the various Anglo-Russian
was unwilling to disputes which have occurred during the received from the British and Chinese the Russian General
As the Corporation, who had telegraphed to their remove the flags, as he occupied our land Allies' operations in North China. question of the "concession
representatives in China for information, a by what he described as right of war, and to Russia at Tientsin has been comparatively obscure protest against Russia's action, as most that, for satis action, we must refer to our the absence of full official details, the por prejudicial to British interests and to the Consul.”
The Russian reply was as given in Sir tion of the Blue-book dealing therewith bondholders of the Northern Railway, and a deserves careful attention. The outlines of request that Her Majesty's Government, E. SATOW's telegram of the 28th November, to which this story of impudent Russian land-grab- should make representation to Russia. referred to above, in answer bing-based on "right of war," since Russian On the 26th of the month Lord SALISBURY Messrs. BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE stated that desired Sir E. ŠATOW to report by telegraph the land was purchased by them before the soldiers had died in defence of attacks on the settlements from that quarter-need any details he could obtain about the seizure Russian troops came to Tientsin, and that of land. Sir E. SATOW replied on the they could admit no Russian rights of any not be repeated; but fresh light thrown. on the subject by the Government despatches 28th November, stating that Russian kind over the property. The Tientsin Brit- also protested, may be welcome. Lord SALISBURY tele.flags had been, hoisted on the properties ish Municipal Council
the 9th of BUTTERFIELD and SWIRE, COUSINS, urging that the British had the strongest graphed to Sir E. Farow on November, 1900, asking for the facts and and DICKINSON and that the Russian claims to the land in question, if it were to circumstances of the case, REUTER'S military authorities offered to remove them pass under foreign control. Diplomatic on condition that the title to the ground proceedings followed, the Russian official telegram from Tientsin baving announced
was recognised as valid by the Russian and assurances being admirable, but as usual that General LINEVITCH had officially in- formed the Consuls that Russia had, by British Consuls as having been acquired accompanied by any pretence at action in right of conquest, annexed the land on the before the Russian eupation, and that the accordance with them. On the 9th January firms would undertake got to hoist British Sir E. Sarow wrote to Lord LANSDOWNE river-bank opposite the British and Germân settlements. ir E. SATOW, replied, in effect, flags until the flag question should be that Mr. TOWER had called at the Russian that this was so, and the British Acting settled by common accord," The Consul Legation at Peking, and that Russia put General at Tientsin, he said, lodged a forward an Agreement between M. DE GIERS Consul-General bad in answer to the Russian general reserved all British rights protest on the 17th November against the and Li Hrs-CHANG, dated 31st December, Previously, however, Mr. C. W. CAMPBELL placing of Russian flags on British subjects' 1900, whereby Russia was granted a con- on the 8th November bad written a letter, property, and he had approved this protest. cession at Tientsin cast of the Peiho, a Further messages passed between the for- circular to this effect baving been circulated which was not received by Lord SALISBURY
eigo Office and Peking, as well as the by M. N. POPPE, Russian Consul ad interim, British and Chinese Corporation, whereby on the 6th January, 1901. The "siding fuller particulars of the extent of the incident" followed, the details of which are Russian annexation were ascertained. The familiar to our readers, and the settlement On my arrival here at the beginning of Corporation stated that the land alluded to of which was ultimately referred to Count October my attention was drawn to the washy a clause of the 1899 Loan Agreement, VON WALDERSEE. Here, as far as the Blue- Russian flags planted along the opposite included in the mortgage to the bondholders book is concerned, the matter ends. The bank of the river, and I found a written of the Northern Railway. Meanwhile, on ultimate decision, however, with respect to complaint awaiting me from Messrs. FORBES the 13th November, Messrs. BUTTERFIELD Russia's claim is still to come. and Co., that Russian flags and notice and SWIRE's representative at Tientsin boards were placed on British-owned pro-wrote to Acting Consul-eneral CAMPBELL, perty, of which they are the agents, without stating that in accordance with his advice their authorisation. I sent the correspond- they had interviewed Prince WOLKONSKY, ence relating to this complaint to Sir the Russian officer detailed for attention to CLAUDE MACDONALD. On 3rd October, Gen- the matter. eral LORNE-CAMPBELL addressed ine a letter objecting to obstruction from the Russian military authorities near the railway station, which letter I transmitted to Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD on Oct. 4, with the comment that up to then the question involved appeared to be a purely military one, and that I did not propose to take any action here without instructions from Peking. On 25th October, Messrs. BUTTERFIELD and SWIRE informed me that land on the opposite bank belonging to their firm was communicate the General's reply, which he marked with Russian flags, and on my referring their letter to the Russian Consuldid at an interview by appointment yester- with a request for the removal of the flags I was told that Messrs. BUTTERFIELD, and SWIRE should apply directly to the Russian headquarters in the matter. I instructed their agent to do so, and he informs me that he has had an inconclusive, though friendly, interview with Prince WOLKONSKY, the Russian officer charged with these affairs, and that a definite reply is to be given him in another interview, which has been fixed for Monday, the 12th."
until the 7th Jaunary of the present year, in which he gave parti lars of the Russian claim. We quote one | aragraph :
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Mr. CAMPBELL proceeded to point out that, in his view, y nationality had a claim more thanthers to the land in question it was the British. It had become valuable in consequence of the capital sunk, mostly by British subjects, in the British Concession parts of it were owned by British subjects, and other parts belonged to the North China Railways, in which British capital was largely invested. It
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THE COURT'S RETURN.
(Daily Press, 24th September.) So many contradictory rumours have been circulated about the movements of the We explained to him," says Mr. FISHER, Chinese Imperial Court that it is perfectly that the property in question was ours, and impossible to judge what importance should. that, as British subjects, we objected to the be attached to the Hsianfu despatch quoted raising of Russian flags on our land, and in our Shanghai correspondent's telegram we respectfully requested their removal. of yesterday's date. Recent news from the assurance of North has led us to believe that prepara- We explained that if our
The Forbidden City was ownership were not sufficient, satisfactory tions for the Court's return to Peking were assurance to this effect could be obtained being pushed on. by enquiry at the British Consulate-General. handed over to the Chinese troops on the The Prince promised to convey our wishes 17th instant, and it was reasonably to be to the Russian General LINEVITCH, and to expected that, were the desire to return to Peking genuine, the Court would only allow the period necessary for effecting day. The General's reply was to the effect repairs to the palaces to elapse beiore that the land was occupied by right of war, starting from Hsianfu for the capital. It as Russian soldiers had died in defence of is many months since we first heard of the attacks 011 the concessions from that Emperor's great anxiety to be back in It is true that the story quarter. We mentioned incidentally that | Peking once more.
probable stay at Kaifengfu is not British troops also had died in the same about a defence, but pointed out how entirely new. Indeed, it has been reported more than irrelevant such matters were as a justifica- once during the current year that Kaifengfu tion for the assumption of rights over would be made the temporary capital of the British property. The Prince laboured to Chinese Empire, or that the Empress draw a distinction between occupying the Dowager at least-would advance no further land and taking possession of it, and in on the road to Peking. No such stories, illustration he indicated that it would be however, had any appearance of certainty. quite possible that the Russian authorities, Until we learn more of the latest despatch more importance whi'e approving our particular rights, we must give it no Still it must not might still retain a somewhat general and than its predecessors.
To be forgotten that more than one foreigner indefinite right embracing our own. this we expressed unqualified dissent, who can claim to speak with authority on maintaining that, as British subjects, we Chinese affairs has prophesied that the could admit no Russian rights of any kind over our own property. We pointed out to the Prince that, whatever the Russian
desecration" of Peking will be an effectual bar to the settling down of the Court in its old surroundings. It is urgent that all
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