Mr. Yang Yü to Mr. Olney.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you of the receipt by me of a cablegram from the Tsung-li Yamên, dated yesterday (the 12th instant), which is to the following effect:
In the recent riot at Kutien, in the prefecture of Foochow, in which British subjects of both sexes, ten in number, lost their lives, no American suffered any injury. Five of those implicated in the riot have been arrested by the local authorities. In an imperial decree stringent orders have been issued to all officials concerned, and the people in general, that strenuous efforts are to be made to afford protection to all Christian missions within the Empire.
Notwithstanding this, the British minister at Peking is endeavoring to secure the cooperation of Minister Denby in pressing his demands [Page 105] upon the Chinese Government. The Yamên is informed that the United States consul at Foochow has made representations, in rather emphatic terms, to the local authorities regarding the recent disturbance. In view of the very cordial relations existing between China and the United States, and the fact that the said riot involved no injury to any American citizen; inasmuch as His Imperial Majesty and the Imperial Government have taken prompt measures and will spare no effort to secure protection to all Christian missions in all parts of the Empire, to arrest and punish all disturbers of the peace, with a view to restoring tranquillity to the Christian missionaries and their converts, and in order that farther trouble may be thus averted; and inasmuch as there is likely to be no difficulty or obstacle to hinder a prompt investigation of the Kutien incident and its satisfactory settlement at an early date, the Yamên expresses the hope that the honorable Secretary of State may be prevailed upon to issue instructions to Minister Denby not to unite with the British minister at Peking in causing difficulties to the Chinese Government, and thus hamper its action and seriously hinder the execution of its good intentions.
Having to-day telegraphed you the news of the safety of the Americans, I now have the honor to communicate the details of the cablegram, as above cited, for your information, and to request that you will be good enough to give it your careful and early attention.
Please accept, etc.,