Mr. Porter to Mr.
Hay.
Embassy
of the United States,
Paris, February 17,
1902.
No. 965.]
Sir: Day before yesterday I had a conversation
with Mr. Delcassé regarding the subject of withdrawing the foreign
forces from Tientsin and turning over the city to the native civil
government without affecting the question of the presence of troops
there for the maintenance of communication between Peking and the
sea.
He stated to me that he fully shares the views of our Government, that
the time has come when it is advisable to take such action. His
information is that a majority of the Governments interested are now of
this opinion. He says that the reports from Tientsin are to the effect
that the representative of but one of the powers has been interposing
any active opposition, and he hopes that all may soon be in accord as to
bringing about the desired action.
To-day I received from Mr. Delcassé a note stating that instructions had
been sent to the French representative in China to confer with the other
diplomatic representatives of the powers and directing him to give his
assent to such a solution of the question as may receive a general
approval and which will comply as soon as possible with the desire
expressed by the Chinese authorities and by the United States. A copy
and a translation of the note are herewith inclosed.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
Mr. Delcassé to
Mr. Porter.
In the course of last month the Government of the United States was
good enough to apprise that of the French Republic of the reasons on
account of which it esteems the maintenance of the provisional
government instituted at Tientsin prejudicial to the efficient
administration of affairs in general.
That question has several times and again recently, on the occasion
of a proposition in which the new viceroy of Pechili took the
initiative, been examined very attentively by the French Government.
As a result instructions have been sent to the representative of the
Republic in China authorizing him to consult with his colleagues on
this subject and to agree to such a solution as, having obtained the
common assent, shall meet, as far as possible, the desire expressed
by the Chinese authorities, and to which the Federal Government
associates itself; the only restriction which it has seemed
advisable to specify, in case the diplomatic representatives should
be unanimous in recognizing the advantages of a return to the former
state of affairs, is that sufficient precautions assure the
achievement of the works of general utility undertaken by order and
under the supervision of the members of the provisional
government.
Paris, February 16,
1902.
