Minister Rockhill
to the Secretary of State.
American Legation,
Peking,
China, August 9,
1906.
No. 371.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your instruction No. 157 of June 30 last in reference to the
restriction threatened by the Chinese on the natural growth of the
international settlement at Shanghai, and directing me to support the
protest of the consular body at Shanghai against the same.
This matter has been before the diplomatic body for nearly two
months—since the receipt by the dean of the letter addressed to him by
the senior consul at Shanghai, a copy of which was transmitted to you by
Mr. Rodgers.
My British colleague drew up a collective note to be sent to the Prince
of Ch’ing by the diplomatic body, protesting against the threatened
creation of a Chinese municipality on the north and east sides of the
present international settlement. It has taken such a long time,
however, to secure the appproval of this note by all the diplomatic
representatives that my British colleague and I had decided, some days
before the receipt of your instruction under acknowledgment, to address
separate notes to the Prince of Ch’ing protesting against the threatened
restrictions on the growth of the settlement. I inclose herewith a copy
of the note which I sent under date of yesterday to the prince.
I believe that a collective note—substantially the one drafted by the
British chargé d’affaires—will shortly be sent to the Wai-wu Pu. I will
transmit it to you at the earliest date.
I am sending a copy of my note to the Prince of Ch’ing to our
consul-general at Shanghai for his information.
I have the honor, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Minister Rockhill to the Prince of
Ch’ing.
Your Imperial Highness: I am informed by
the American consul-general at Shanghai that on the 4th of May last
the taot’ai of that port addressed a note to the senior consul, in
which he stated that the renting of land in the Paoshan district,
just outside the boundaries of the international settlement at
Shanghai, had been originally allowed by the viceroy at Nanking as a
special favor and not as a treaty right, and that the present
superintendent of trade for the south had now deputed Taot’ai Hsü
Hai-ping to proceed to Shanghai for the purpose of making
arrangements for the establishment of a Chinese commercial
settlement and municipality at Cha-pei in the district named.
I have the honor to point out for the information of your imperial
highness that the foreign residents of Shanghai have for many years
past held leases of land in the Pao-shan district, which they
acquired in the ordinary manner under the treaties, and not as a
special favor. I need hardly remind your imperial highness that the
treaties expressly provide that the extent of ground to be assigned
to foreign residents at the open ports shall not be limited but
shall be determined according to the need and convenience of the
parties. The international settlement at Shanghai must be allowed
room for its natural growth, and this growth must extend in the
direction of the Pao-shan district. The foreign residents have
already, with the consent of the Chinese authorities, expended large
sums of money in building roads there, and in providing electric
[Page 300]
light, gas, water, and
fire-department protection. If, therefore, a Chinese municipality be
established on that side of the international settlement, it will
check the growth of the international settlement, and thus do great
damage to the interests involved. I am instructed by my Government,
therefore, to protest most emphatically against the establishment of
the proposed Chinese municipality at Cha-pei, or at any other place
in that vicinity where foreigners have already acquired property. I
have the honor to request your imperial highness to instruct the
superintendent of trade for the south to refrain from establishing
the municipality proposed, as such an act can only be construed as
one of unfriendliness toward the legitimate foreign interests of
Shanghai and hostile to the prosperity of the international
settlement.
I avail myself of the occasion to renew to your imperial highness the
assurance of my highest consideration.
W. W. Rockhill,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of the United States.
To His Imperial Highness Prince of
Ch’ing,
President of the Board of
Foreign Affairs.
