Mr. Conger to Mr.
Hay.
Legation of the United States,
Peking, September 9,
1903.
No. 1385.]
Sir: I confirm my telegram of this date
regarding the importance of substituting in our treaty the city of
An-tung in place of Tatung-kou as the port on the Yalu to be opened to
foreign trade.
Referring to my dispatch No. 1374, of August 25, on the same subject, I
now inclose copy of an extract from the report of the British officer
mentioned. I also inclose copy of a letter from Admiral Evans, and
respectfully refer you to the report of Commander Ward on file in the
Department of the Navy.
From all this it will be seen that Ta-tung-kou is a flat, low, muddy,
unhealthy location, with no facilities for bunding or dock building, and
is approachable only through a ditch which is dry at low water, while
An-tung has 20 feet of water, a mile and a half of better banks, is of
much more importance, and of better business promise. Its location is
higher and healthier, is at the crossing of the main route from
Manchuria to Korea, and seems to be in every way preferable to
Ta-tung-kou. * * *
In a conference with Prince Ch’ing yesterday I explained fully to him the
situation, telling him that we had relied upon old reports and surveys
in selecting Ta-tung-kou, and because it was the nearest to the sea, but
that after sending a naval officer to explore and survey we had
discovered the channel silted up, too little water, muddy banks, etc.,
while An-tung seemed to have nearly everything desirable, and as
business development was the object of opening a port, it was certainly
for China’s interest, and, I presumed, her desire also, to open a place
where business could be developed and carried on. I therefore suggested
that An-tung was the proper port to be opened, and asked that we agree
that in the preparation of the treaty it should be inserted instead of
Ta-tung-kou. He agreed with me and said he saw no objection to making
the substitution, but it was a new question and he would be
[Page 76]
obliged to consult his
colleagues, and would give a definite reply in a very few days.
An-tung was formerly called Saho, but in 1877 it was made a “Hsien” city
and named An-tung.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Extract from British officer’s
report.
Ta-tung-kou is a village with about 5,000 inhabitants, but the
population is migratory, and during the winter is about half this
number. It is not at the mouth of the river. The Chinese character
for kou is not “mouth” but “ditch,” the
village being approached by a winding ditch about 20 to 50 yards
broad and 2 miles long, which is dried up at low water. It is the
place where all the timber from the Yalu is collected previous to
being shipped, and there is a Chinese custom-house there. The place
where steamers from Chefoo anchor at present is about 3 miles from
Ta-tung-kou and about 5 miles in a direct line from the actual
entrance to the river. It is surrounded by low-lying muddy ground,
and has by no means the amount of trade or importance that Antung
has.
An-tung, the headquarters of the Hsien, is the most important place
in these parts, and has a population of about 7,000. It has a most
prosperous appearance and the houses are all of a very superior
stamp. It is a great shipping and forwarding center, and will no
doubt in time develop much more, as it has a good bund with 20 feet
of water at low tide, and can, I believe, be reached by steamers
drawing 8 to 10 feet. If Ta-tung-kou is selected instead of An-tung
I think a great mistake will be made.
[Inclosure 2.]
Admiral Evans to Mr.
Conger.
Commander in Chief’s Office,
United States Asiatic
Fleet, Flagship “Kentucky,”
Chefoo, China, September 1, 1903.
No. 130–M.]
Sir: 1. I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your No. 1908, of the 25th ultimo, relative to the
selection of the port of Antung Hsien, or Saho, as that to be opened
upon the Yalu River by the terms of the treaty which you expect will
be signed about October 8, 1903, and requesting that I send a
gunboat up the Yalu to investigate the situation and furnish you
with a report thereon.
2. In reply I have to inform you that with the object of
investigating the conditions in the Yalu and the determination of
the most suitable port for opening to foreign trade upon that river,
the Austria was dispatched to the Yalu early
last month, and after careful inquiry and investigation of the
various localities I am satisfied that Saho should, by all means, be
the port selected, and no other port should be accepted as a
substitute for Saho.
3. Lieutenant-Commander Marsh, who left last night for Peking, has
been furnished with a copy of the report of the commanding officer
of the Austria, which will be delivered to
you.
Very respectfully,
R. D. Evans,
Rear-Admiral, U. S. Navy, Commander in Chief
United States Asiatic Fleet.
