Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1901

Mr. Squiers to Mr. Hay.

Legation of the United States,
Pekin, May 28, 1901.

No. 640.]

Sir: I have the honor to hand you herewith a copy of an inclosure transmitted here in a dispatch from the United States consul at Chefoo (No. 416, May 20, 1901).

It shows claims presented by Messrs. Crawford & Hudson, which it appears the governor of Shantung, in the desire to appease the missionaries, has agreed to pay. It seems to me unfortunate that the missionary, owing to his peculiar status, can present and recover damages that an ordinary resident of the country will be precluded from doing under the rules recently adopted by the foreign representatives. (See Mr. Rockhill’s dispatch^a No. 42, March 14, 1901). I have reference to traveling expenses to and from the United States, and extra living expenses while there.

Their settlement of the claims of native Christians has caused no end of criticism and ill-feeling, especially in this province, and among foreigners as well as Chinese. They have themselves gone into the country and assessed damages on the various villages where Christians had been killed or their property destroyed. As they have generally been accompanied by soldiers, such settlements were in fact forcibly made, the presence of the soldiers making them such whether they accompanied the missionaries simply as a guard or not.

In Shansi, the governor has set aside 200,000 taels to be fairly divided between the Protestants and Catholics, thus preventing the certain quarrels and strife that will surely follow direct settlements made by the missionaries themselves. So far as I know, this course has been followed in the province of Shansi only.

While it might be at times a source of great annoyance and trouble to our consuls and the legation, I think in the end it would prove to the best interests of the missionaries and their work if they were precluded from any official intercourse whatever with the local officials on matters pertaining to their native Christians. A reference to the records of the legation will show that the Chinese Government finds such interference with their people most repugnant, while in some cases unjust treatment or actual persecution of native Christians on the part of petty officials may have been prevented; as a rule, I believe most foreigners who have lived in China for a number of years will agree that it brought down on the Christian all the hatred and animosity this people now seem to be capable of.

I have, etc.,

H. G. Squiers.

[Inclosure.]

Taian fu, Shantung, April 22, 1901.
(Kuang Hsu, 27th year, 3d Moon, 14th day.)

I, Mao Shu-yun, agree to pay to Messrs. Bostick and Verity, Dr. Barrow, and Miss Sture the sum of taels two thousand nine hundred and cents eighty-one (taels 2,900.81), Taian K’uping, compensation in full for all losses sustained on their respective mission places in Taian City by theft and robbery during 1900. I agree to pay taels five hundred eighty-six and cents sixteen (taels 586.16) to-day and the balance not later than the 8th Moon of this year (Kuang Hsu, 27th year).

For extra expenses in living and moving incurred by the Boxer troubles, we with our colaborers look either to the governor or to the General Government of China.

Claim made by Dr. T. B. Crawford.

Traveling expenses Chefoo to stopping place in America and return to Taian (Mexican)	$2,002.55
Rent, Greenvills, S. C., eight months, at $6	48.00
	2,050.55

T. J. Hudson’s claim.

Traveling expenses from Taianfu to Demossville, Ky

$900.00

C. P. Bostick.

Trianfu, May 4, 1901.

1. See appendix to this volume, page 104.