Mr. Olney to Mr. Denby.
Washington, November 30, 1895.
Sir: Your Nos. 2399 and 2400 of the 15th and 2403 of the 16th ultimo have been received. They relate to the Kutien and Szechuan investigations and the punishment of the persons implicated in the riots.
In regard to the promise made by the Yamên that all persons implicated in the Kutien massacre would be tried, it is the understanding of the Department that it includes officials as well as the people.
As to the number of persons convicted of participation in the Huashan massacre who are to be executed, the Department can not determine. Its views on the subject have heretofore been made known to you. While agreeing with you that the usual severity of Chinese laws should not be mitigated where foreigners have suffered, the Department is more especially concerned in securing Americans future safety, and in placing the responsibility for the massacre where it properly belongs, on those officials under whose protection our citizens were living and by whose culpable negligence the crime was rendered possible.
The Department accepts your views in regard to stopping the Kutien investigation whenever the British commission withdraws, unless in the opinion of our commissioners the question of responsibility for the massacre has not been fully examined into, in which case it would be proper for you to instruct them to stop their investigation only when they have received all available evidence.
[Page 173]The punishment of Chou Taotai, the chief of police of Chengtu, should, the Department thinks, be as severe as that inflicted on Liu Ping-chang—that is to say, he shall not hereafter be employed in the public service. The decree of October 14 is, however, gratifying.
I am, etc.,