Mr. Rockhill to Mr.
Hay.
No. 69.]
Commissioner of
the United States to China,
Peking, April 16,
1901.
Sir: I have the honor to report that the diplomatic
corps held a meeting to-day to consider the terms of a note to be addressed
to the Chinese peace commissioners embodying the views of the powers on the
reform of the office of foreign affairs and on court ceremonial. I inclose
herewith copies of the notes which we agreed upon in sending.
I presented to the diplomatic corps the request of the Chinese
plenipotentiaries that the archives of the Tsung-li Yamen should be restored
to them, and expressed the hope that my colleagues would agree to do so at
once. This proposition met with no objection, but the German minister stated
that he would not be able to have the yamen itself turned over to the
Chinese, as it is at present occupied by troops of his country.
The diplomatic corps also considered a letter from Field Marshal Count von
Waldersee, reporting the conclusions reached at a conference of the
commanders of the various contingents here concerning the military measures
necessary to be taken for carrying out Articles VIII and IX of the Joint
Note. I inclose herewith translation of the letter of the field marshal,
together with a letter to him from General Chaffee, correcting some errors,
and the marshal’s reply thereto.
The conclusions of the military commission as to the military works to be
razed under the provisions of Article VIII met with the objection of the
Japanese minister, who thought that the terms of the article only provided
for razing “forts,” whereas the commission has recommended that a number of
other works, camps, arsenals, etc., be also destroyed. I agreed with my
Japanese colleague, and availed myself of the opportunity to urge your
views, that dismantlement of the forts seemed better than the razing of
them, in view of the fact that military occupation by foreign forces of this
part of China being only temporary, the Chinese, after its cessation, would
be deprived of necessary means of defense against an enemy; that as long as
the foreign forces were here they could either occupy these positions or see
that they were not occupied by the Chinese. Further discussion of the letter
of the marshal and the answer to be made by the diplomatic corps was
reserved until the meeting to be held to-morrow. A general discussion,
however, ensued on the question of evacuation, and on the necessity of
promptly taking some steps which would tend to facilitate the transmission
of administration from foreign to Chinese hands.
All the ministers were in favor of mixed civil government as a first step
toward this restoration of Chinese rule, except the German, who stated that
his military authorities here were strongly opposed to it, and that they
thought Chinese civil authority should only be restored in the various
localities after the evacuation by foreign troops. The French minister
expressed the opinion that the various generals should be informed at once
that partial evacuation might begin without further delay, that the state of
the negotiations do not justify the prolongation of the present strong
occupation of many localities. This suggestion met with general approval, a
qualified one only on the part of the German minister, who stated that he
did not think this met with the approval of his military authorities. I
availed myself of the opportunity to call the attention of my colleagues to
the remark made by the field marshal in his letter of April 6, that if the
evacuation
[Page 133]
of Paoting Fu and
Peking was not made by the 15th of June it could not be carried out until
next autumn, and urged that some step be taken to ascertain the ability and
willingness of the Chinese to protect the life and property of foreigners,
and that not a day should be lost, as the two months which still separate us
from the middle of June was a short enough period to determine this fact.
The ministers agreed to this, and several of them stated that, had they
instructions from their Government concerning the payment of the indemnity,
it would be an easy matter to carry out promptly the evacuation, but
unfortunately they were still without them.
I shall endeavor to-morrow to bring the discussion on your proposition of a
lump sum indemnity, which it was impossible to do in the meeting to-day.
I have the honor to be, etc.,
[Inclosure No. 1, with dispatch No.
69.—Translation.]
M. de Cologan to
Prince Ching and Li
Hung-chang.
Your Highness and Your Excellency: The
representatives of the powers have taken, concerning the modifications
to be introduced into the court ceremonial, the following resolutions,
of which they ask the execution, in conformity with Article XIII of the
Joint Note.
The solemn audience given by the Emperor to the diplomatic corps shall
take place in the T’ai-ho Tien. Those given to one of the
representatives of the powers shall take place in the Chien-ching
Kung.
When a diplomatic agent shall present his letters of credence or a
communication from the head of the state by whom he is accredited, the
Emperor shall send him an Imperial sedan chair and an escort of honor,
which shall take him at his residence and conduct him with his suite to
the palace, where he shall be received. He shall be reconducted with the
same ceremonial. In going to these audiences the diplomatic agent shall
pass through the central doors until he has handed in his letters of
credence or his communication. In going away he shall comply with the
usage already established.
The Emperor shall receive directly into his hands the letters or the
communication which the diplomatic agents shall have to give him.
In going to solemn audiences the representatives of the powers shall be
carried in their chairs to before the hall in which they are to be
received by the Emperor. They shall again take their chairs at the spot
at which they previously left them.
The Emperor shall be present in person at the banquets which he may offer
to the diplomatic corps, as he used to do every year before the events
of last year, and these banquets shall take place in the Chien-ching
Kung.
In a general way my colleagues declare that the court ceremonial relating
to their receptions should be in harmony with the usages established
between independent and equal nations, and they ask that the details
concerning the settlement of this question, of which they confine
themselves to pointing out the general features, shall be incorporated
in a protocol drawn up with them and the plenipotentiaries of the
Imperial Government.
I beg your highness and your excellency to be so kind as to request of
the Throne the necessary measures for carrying out these
resolutions.
[Inclosure No. 2 with dispatch No.
60.—Translation.]
M. de Cologan to
Prince Ching and Li
Hung-chang.
Your Highness and Your Excellency: According to
the terms of Article XII of the Joint Note, His Majesty the Emperor of
China agreed to “reform the
[Page 134]
Office of Foreign Affairs in the manner which the powers shall point out
to him.” I have the honor to inform you by this dispatch of the
resolutions taken by my colleagues on this subject.
The fact being admitted that the Tsungli Yamen has during the forty years
of its existence clearly shown that it is incapable of discharging the
functions with which it was intrusted, the representatives of the powers
have deemed it necessary to substitute in its place, for the good of
China and for the harmonious relations between the Empire and the
foreign governments, an organization analogous to those which exist in
other countries.
They have thought it essential to give the future Office of Foreign
Affairs all the guarantees of ability, of regularity, of promptness and
wise administration, failing which the former one has manifested its
incapacity, and without which the new one could not fulfill its true
object.
They have not been less preoccupied with the desire to put in the forward
place which belongs to it in the Empire a power whose mission it is to
regulate, in the name of the Emperor, the questions which should occupy
the first rank in the preoccupations of China.
The representatives of the powers think in the first place that the
functions previously intrusted to the Tsungli Yamen were divided between
a too large number of personages, and that it is proper to substitute in
the place of responsibilities too scattered and ill-defined a more real
and effective responsibility.
They are of the opinion that the Office of Foreign Affairs should have at
its head a single minister, with the rank, influence, and power
corresponding with the requirements of his situation. This minister, who
shall have the title of “President of the Office of Foreign Affairs,”
shall be a Prince (Wang) or ajduke (Kung), and shall therefore belong to the Imperial
family. He shall have two assistants, one of whom shall be chosen from
among the members of the Grand Council (Chün-chi-Chu), and the other shall have at least the personal
rank of President of one of the Ministries or Boards (Pu). The three together shall have the exclusive charge of the
direct relations with the foreign diplomatic agents. They shall each of
them be given the salary and the dignities conformable with the high
functions with which they shall be invested and in conformity with the
usages obtaining in all civilized countries.
They shall receive, either separately or all three together, the
diplomatic agents who may have to treat with them in the name of their
governments affairs concerning China. When the business is particularly
important, and the diplomatic agents express the desire, the President
of the Office of Foreign Affairs shall be personally present, either
alone or with his assistants, at the interviews which may be asked of
him. It is only on account of the probable multiplicity of his
occupation and because his other obligations as a member of the Imperial
family may prevent him from devoting all his time to the ministry that
two collaborators are given him. But in reality it is he who in the
management of affairs has the proper duties and responsibility; it is
only his name and his address which figure on the official
correspondence from the diplomatic agents, and his two colleagues who
have rank and title less than he, have principally for duty to transact
current affairs, though having, nevertheless, authority to take up the
others.
The name of “Tsungli Yamen,” which recalls such unfortunate remembrances
and which does not indicate sufficiently the importance and authority of
the power to which belongs, under the responsibility and the orders of
the sovereign, the highest functions of the State, is done away with. It
shall be replaced, in virtue of an Imperial decree, by that of “Wai-wu
Pu,” and in the official order of precedence the Wai-wu Pu shall pass
before the six Boards or Ministries.
It is desirable that the three members of the Wai-wu Pu shall have as
extended a knowledge as possible of international questions and of the
methods generally followed in their settlement in civilized countries.
So as to have from this latter point of view an additional guaranty, it
will be necessary that under the orders of the three members of the
Wai-wu Pu there shall be appointed, with the title of “Chief of Bureau,”
two officials, able by their experience and ability to place the
department to which they are attached in more real harmony than was the
Tsung-li Yamen with similar organizations existing in foreign countries.
It would be equally desirable that one of these high officials should
know a European language.
Such are the conditions laid down by the representatives of the powers
for the reform of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Empire, and I
have the honor to request of your highness and your excellency to please
request of His Majesty the Emperor of China the necessary orders to have
the same carried into effect.
[Page 135]
[Inclosure No. 3 with dispatch No.
69.—Translation.]
Field Marshal Count von
Waldersee to Mr. de
Cologan.
Army Headquarters
in East Asia,
Peking, Winter
Palace, April 6,
1901.
Your Excellency: I have the honor to inform
your excellency, as the doyen of the diplomatic corps, that, upon the
wish of that body, as expressed to me by the German minister, a
conference of the officers commanding contingents was held to-day to
consider the necessary measures for the execution of Articles VIII and
IX of the conditions of peace. I am authorized to communicate them to
your excellency as follows:
Article VIII: By the unanimous decision of officers commanding
contingents, my proposition was accepted that the following
fortifications, which, by their nature and position, might interfere
with free communication between Peking and the sea, should be razed.
- (1)
- The military camp at south exit from Yang-tsun, if it is not
required for the accommodation of the garrison to be left
there.
- (2)
- The military magazine of Siku, Tientsin.
- (3)
- The yellow fort, Tientsin.
- (4)
- The black fort (citadel), Tientsin.
- (5)
- The east arsenal, Tientsin.
- (6)
- The two camps at Chun-liang-cheng.
- (7)
- The four camps at Hsinho.
- (8)
- All the fortifications at Taku, viz:
- On the right bank of the Peiho, the coast battery, with the
camp attached to it, and the south fort of Taku, with its camp,
and on the left bank the northwest and north forts.
- (9)
- All the fortifications at Pei-tang, viz, the south fort (fort
No. 1), the central and north forts (forts Nos. 2 and 3), the
two earthworks to the north of these, and the camps between the
line of the forts and the railway.
- (10)
- All the camps at Lutai within a distance of 2,000 meters from
the railway embankment.
- (11)
- The camps between Tangho and Shanhaikwan within a distance of
2,000 meters of the railway.
All the forts at Shanhaikwan threaten the railway and roadstead and
should be razed. As, however, they are suitable for the accommodation of
the international garrison to be left at Shanhaikwan, they should be
retained for the present.
The west arsenal at Tientsin, which is of no military importance, should
not be razed, and the high mud wall, which lies in the Russian cession,
should be placed at the disposal of the Russian authorities.
Article IX: All the officers commanding contingents were unanimous in
recognizing the necessity of maintaining permanently a strong garrison
at Tientsin and Shanhaikwan-Chin-wang-tao, the garrison at Tientsin
being fixed at 2,000 men of all arms, and that of
Shanhaikwan-Chin-wang-tao at 1,500 men. Germany, France, Great Britain,
Italy, and Japan will find their share of the garrison of Tientsin and
Russia and the above-mentioned powers, less Italy, of that of
Shanhaikwan.
Austria-Hungary will only leave small guards in Shanhaikwan and
Tientsin.
My further proposal to arrange for permanent garrisons at various points
along the railway—Peking, Taku, Shanhaikwan—to secure free communication
between the capital and the sea, met with full approval. Only the
American general, Chaffee, was of the opinion that an occupation of
Peking, Tientsin, and Shanhaikwan would be sufficient.
It was decided to occupy Hwang-tsun, Lang-fang, Yang tsun,
Chun-liang-cheng, Tongku, Lutai, Tongshan, and Changli each with 300
men, including 50 mounted men, a few machine guns being left at
each.
The distribution of these garrisons at the various contingents was
arranged after consultation as follows: Italy occupies Hwang-tsun;
Germany, Lang-fang and Yang-tsun; France, Chun-liang-cheng and Tongku;
Great Britain, Lutai and Tongshan; Japan, Lanchou and Changli.
It is to be remarked that the Russian general de Wogack, expressed the
view that the occupation of some of the above-mentioned points might be
dispensed with.
The quartering of the troops in the various garrisons is to be undertaken
by the contingent concerned. Each garrison will be responsible for the
safety of the railway line to half way to the next garrison on each side
of it. As long as the railway remains under military control the railway
stations will remain occupied by British police guards. Every power has
the right of leaving small lines of communication detachments at
important points, such as Tongku.
[Page 136]
Between the present occupation and the permanent settlement there will be
a transition period in which special measures must be taken. It was
uniformly recognized as necessary that for this period the garrison of
Tientsin should be raised to 6,000 men. The surplus of 4,000 men above
the numbers of the permanent garrison will be found by France, Great
Britain, Japan, Italy, and Germany. During this period also the
provisional government of Tientsin will continue in the exercise of its
functions. The lines of communication stations on the Pei-ho, Hoshi-wu,
Matou, and Tungchou must remain occupied. The time for the withdrawal of
this reenforcement must be reserved for ulterior consideration by the
governments, as must also the fixing of the date on which it will be
possible to limit the permanent measures of security which have been
considered above. It will only be possible later on to judge when this
latter measure can be taken, and it depends upon the question’ of
whether the Chinese Government is strong enough and shows an honest
desire to take over itself the protection of the life and property of
foreigners.
The creation of a common commander in chief, both during the transition
period and for the permanent occupation, is considered by all commanders
of contingents as urgently desirable from a military point of view. It
was also considered as desirable that a change should be made in the
chief command about once a year, so that all the contingents should take
their turn in furnishing the commander in chief.
After the consideration of the executive measures to be taken in the
carrying out of Articles VIII and IX was concluded, the manner in which
the evacuation of the province of Chihli was to be conducted, as being
closely connected with the above measures, was debated upon.
It was agreed that it would be impossible to assemble large bodies of
troops at Tientsin, as this, especially in summer, would entail grave
danger from a sanitary point of view. It therefore follows that,
simultaneously with the evacuation of Peking and Paoting Fu, the
transport of the troops to their own countries must begin, and that
therefore the evacuation can not begin until the necessary transport
ships are ready and on the spot. It was further recognized that in the
months of July and August the marching of large bodies of troops in the
direction of Tientsin-Tongku would be impossible. The consequence of
this is that the evacuation of Peking and Paoting Fu must be completed
by the 15th of June, unless the occupation is to be extended till
autumn.
The handing over of the civil government to the Chinese authorities can
only take place after the evacuation of the towns in question; but it is
proper and necessary that Chinese troops should be allowed previously to
approach so that guard and police duties might be handed over to them
direct. Thus the outbreak of troubles and risings of the people in the
larger centers will be effectively prevented.
At the close of the conference an understanding was come to as to the
strength of the legation guard, which will not exceed a total of 2,000
men. There will be left in Peking:
|
Men. |
| America |
150 |
| Germany |
300 |
| France |
300 |
| Great Britain |
250 |
| Japan |
300 |
| Italy |
200 |
| Austria-Hungary |
200 |
| Russia |
300 |
Count von Waldersee,
Field Marshal.
[Inclosure No. 4 with dispatch No.
69.—Translation.]
Headquarters China Relief Expedition,
Peking, China, April
9, 1901.
Your Excellency: I have the honor to
acknowledge receipt of a copy of your letter, dated April 8, to his
excellency M. de Cologan, dean of the diplomatic corps, setting forth
the recommendations of the conference of the commanders in chief of the
different contingents regarding the execution of Articles VIII and IX of
the Joint Note submitted by the diplomatic corps to the Chinese
representatives. It is observed that your excellency states that “By
unanimous decision of the commanders of the contingents, my proposition
was accepted, to wit: To raze the following fortifications, which, on
account of their location and nature, might hinder the free
communication between Pekin and the sea.”
[Page 137]
It is noticed that your letter does not state that dismantlement of the
fortifications would be a satisfactory compliance with Article VIII to
the United States, as was stated by me to your excellency and others
present. This matter is material only in conserving on this occasion
record of my statement at the conference, as dismantlement of the forts
referred to was the position held by the United States through its
minister when the joint note was under discussion by the diplomatic
corps; so I have been informed.
It is also noted that your excellency states regarding the points to be
occupied that “Only the American general, Chaffee, was of the opinion
that occupation of Peking, Tientsin, and Shanhaikwan would be
sufficient.” My proposition, as stated at the conference, was that
Peking, Yangtsun, Tientsin, Tonku, Tongshan, and Shanhaikwan should be
occupied.
With assurances of my high esteem, I remain your excellency’s obedient
servant,
Adna R. Chaffee,
Major-General, U. S. A., Commanding United States
Forces in China.
His Excellency Field Marshal Count von
Waldersee,
Commanding Allied Forces
in China.
[Inclosure 5, with dispatch No.
69.—Translation.]
To the Doyen of the diplomatic corps.
Army
Headquarters, Peking, Winter
Palace, April
13, 1901.
Your Excellency: Referring to my communications
of the 6th instant, Nos. 1390, 1891, I have the honor to inclose you a
copy of a letter from Gen. Sir Alfred Gaselee (British), General Chaffee
(American), and Colonel Garioni (Italian).
In regard to the contents I have to say—
- First. I concur entirely in the opinion of Gen. Sir Alfred
Gaselee. I only said in my communication that the designation of
a common commander was urgently desirable from a military point
of view, but as this, like the other points under discussion,
will of course be decided by the allied powers, I have not given
it special attention.
- Second. Article VIII of the joint note provides that the Taku
forts and other remaining fortifications, which can hinder free
communication between the capital and the sea, are to be razed.
At the conference the commanders of the contingents therefore
only discussed the razing of those fortifications which are
referred to in this provision. The statement of General Chaffee
that a dismantlement of the forts would be sufficient escaped me
as well as his remark that he considered the continued
occupation of Yungtsun, Tongku, and Tangshan to be
necessary.
- Third. The right declared by Colonel Garioni in his letter to
continue to take part in the occupation of the Shanhaikwan forts
as at present is also, in my opinion, in no way modified by his
declaration not to take” part in the continued occupation of
Shanhaikwan-Chinwangtao.
Besides it is guaranteed by the provision that every power has the right
to have depots at important points on the lines of communication.
Graf v. Waldersee,
General Field Marshal.
