Mr. Rockhill to Mr. Hay.
Peking, April 17, 1901.
Sir: The diplomatic corps continued to-day the discussion of the letter of Field Marshal Count von Waldersee, begun in its meeting of yesterday, as reported to you in my dispatch No. 69. The conclusions reached in the marshal’s letter concerning the carrying out of Article VIII were accepted by the ministers, who will recommend their adoption to their respective governments. I again objected to the razing of the forts and to the inclusion of works other than forts in the number to be destroyed, as did also the Japanese minister. As, [Page 138] however, the Japanese minister finally withdrew his objections, I did not think proper to insist. So I stated that I accepted the views of the majority, though with the greatest reluctance. The field marshal in his letter expresses the belief that until the end of the occupation the provisional government should continue in the exercise of its functions. I expressed the opinion that it would be better if this Provisional Government should cease to exist as soon as conditions justified handing over the city of Tientsin to the Chinese authorities. The French, British, and Russian ministers agreed with this proposal, and the diplomatic corps finally expressed the wish that “the Provisional Government shall hand over to the Chinese authorities the powers which belonged to them in normal times as soon as the situation will permit it and without prejudice to the military occupation.” The German minister declined to express an opinion on this subject. All the others favored it.
The discussion again coming up on the question of beginning the evacuation, I recalled to the meeting the French minister’s proposal that the time had come when the generals might be informed that the commencement of evacuation seemed necessary. He repeated his former remarks, and added that he thought the military commanders might be informed that the withdrawal of the expeditionary corps could begin. This would in no way affect the maintenance of the forces of occupation. The Japanese minister stated that he would like to see the evacuation of Peking and Paoting Fu effected as soon as possible; that he deemed the presence of troops at Tientsin sufficient pressure to secure prompt compliance by the Chinese Government with the demands of the powers concerning indemnity. I stated that I believed it was not necessary to begin a discussion of the question with the Chinese; that we could confine ourselves to beginning a reduction of the forces, which could be steadily carried on, if conditions admitted of it, or stopped if they did not, but that in view of the marshal’s statement that Peking and Paoting Fu must be evacuated prior to the 15th of June or only next autumn, I thought that everything should be done to hasten it, as the military occupation was costing enormous sums to China and the country was also suffering indirectly by it large loss of revenue. The British minister agreed in a general way with our views concerning the desirability of at once beginning a reduction of the military forces, while the German minister refused to discuss the question of evacuation, unless considered jointly with that of the payment of the indemnity.
On the proposition of Sir Ernest Satow, the following statement was agreed upon to be telegraphed by the ministers to their respective governments, and if approved by them to be communicated to the various military commanders: “A partial reduction of the troops is already possible, but the evacuation, properly so called, cannot commence before the Chinese Government has fulfilled the conditions of Articles II and X of the Joint Note, and has accepted the general principles which will be laid down for the payment of the indemnities. That is to say, the sum total and the mode of payment.”
The paragraph of the marshal’s letter 5, concerning the handing over of the civil government to the Chinese authorities occasioned some discussion. The opinion of all the ministers was that the civil administration should be transferred to the Chinese not after the evacuation, but some time before; not less, certainly, than three weeks or a month. Here again the German minister declined to express an opinion contrary to that of the field marshal.
[Page 139]The force indicated for legation guards seems now to the ministers here to be a very large one. The French, Russian, Austrian ministers and myself, expressed the belief that it was probable that the Chinese Government would not return to Peking with a force of 2,000 foreign troops in the capital. While the diplomatic corps will not recommend any reduction of this force at the present time, it is highly probable that it will be very considerably reduced as soon as may be. There is a strong desire among many of my colleagues to prevent any one nation having a larger guard than another. The German minister thought that if one of the powers should withdraw its guard another should have the right of bringing the total of the Peking garrison to the regular number. This opinion found no support in the meeting.
The draft of a letter to the Chinese plenipotentiaries was then read, in reference to the international settlement on the island of Ku-lang su (Amoy), asking them to take steps at an early date to have created the international settlement there which the powers understood the Chinese authorities were willing to make. I will send you a copy of this communication within a few days.
The British minister then presented some remarks of his Government on the report for the assessment of claims adopted by the diplomatic corps. The British Government states that it will not ask indemnities for legation guards, and then enumerates a number of claims which the diplomatic corps had agreed to allow, but which it thinks are of a very doubtful nature, but in case the powers do not agree to this it suggests they should be most carefully scrutinized before presentation. Sir Ernest also stated that 5 per cent should be the limit of interest asked in all cases. The British minister also resubmitted a proposition of his Government, which meets with the support of the German and Italian ministers, that all private claims should be examined by a committee of the diplomatic corps so as to ascertain whether they have all been passed upon in uniform way and in strict conformity with the rules adopted. I abstained from voting on any of these propositions, not being in a position to consider any suggestions concerning claims until the general proposal of my Government on the presentation of a lump sum indemnity has been voted on.
The diplomatic corps then adjourned without fixing a day for its next meeting.
I have the honor to be, etc.,