Minister Rockhill
to the Secretary of State.
American Legation,
Peking, December 18,
1905.
No. 172.]Sir: Referring to legation dispatch No. 1843,
of March 28, 1905, with regard to the danger to navigation between
Shanghai and northern ports, resulting from the presence of floating
mines, I have the
[Page 301]
honor to
report that on March 30 last the senior consul in Shanghai, at the
request of the local chamber of commerce, telegraphed to the doyen of
the diplomatic corps asking that the Chinese Government be urged to take
some steps to insure the safety of shipping. The doyen thereupon wrote
to the foreign office, and in reply was informed that the superintendent
of trade for the north has been advised of the matter, and had reported
that he had sometime previously sent two vessels to discover and destroy
floating mines, and that the same ships would again be dispatched to
renew the search.
On October 16 the senior consul again wrote to the doyen of the
diplomatic corps inclosing a letter addressed to him by the local
municipal council calling attention to the continuance of this dangerous
condition as shown by the recent destruction of a steamer through
contact with a floating mine, and suggesting that fishermen should be
incited by pecuniary rewards to locate and report the presence of these
dangers to navigation.
A further representation was then made to the foreign office, in which
the suggestion of the municipal council was embodied, and a note to this
effect was sent to the senior consul.
The foreign office has sent a preliminary reply to this note, stating
that its contents has again been communicated to the superintendent of
trade for the north, with a view to suitable action.
As Tientsin and Newchwang are now closed for the winter, the amount of
shipping traversing the Gulf of Chihli is very much diminished, and it
is hoped that by the time these ports are again open in the spring the
efforts of the Chinese Government, aided by natural causes, will have
been successful in practically clearing the routes of trade of these
very serious dangers to navigation.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1—Telegram.]
Consul-General Knappe to the German
Minister.
(Given in at
Shanghai, March 30, 1905—5.25
p.m.)
No. 22. Chamber of commerce brings to the notice of the doyen in
Peking the danger to navigation between Shanghai and the north owing
to the number of mechanical floating mines. The chamber requests to
urge the Chinese Government to at once take steps to insure the
safety of not only the shipping, but of the lives of those who are
engaged in the northern traffic.
[Inclosure
2—Translation.]
The foreign office to
the dean of the diplomatic
corps.
We have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s
note informing us that you had received a telegram from the consular
body at Shanghai to the effect that the chamber of commerce of that
city had called attention to the floating mines in the Yellow Sea
between Shanghai and the ports in north China, and to the danger to
shipping caused thereby; they request, therefore, that measures be
taken to protect navigation and prevent loss of life.
Upon receipt of your excellency’s note this board telegraphed at once
to the superintendent of trade for the north, directing him to order
that an investigation be made immediately and that the necessary
measures be taken. We have now received a reply from him in which he
states that having been previously
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informed of the floating mines in the Gulf of
Pechili, he had already dispatched the vessels Haichien and Feiying to search for
and destroy them, but that he would repeat the orders to the same
vessels, and direct that they make a careful search.
It becomes our duty to send this note to your excellency for your
information, and we take the opportunity to wish your excellency the
compliments of the season.
Third moon, second day (April 6,
1905).
[Inclosure 3.]
Chairman Andersch to the German
consul-general.
Council Room,
Shanghai, October 6,
1905.
Sir: There is reason to believe that the
track of steamers between Shanghai and the northern ports is studded
with explosive mines, and it is the council’s opinion that much
might be done toward their clearance if representations were made in
the proper quarter.
The recent disaster which overtook the steamship Isieh-ho on the 30th ultimo, involving considerable loss
of life, is a matter which can not be sufficiently deplored, and I
have the honor to suggest, for the consideration of the consular
body, the advisability of making representations to the Chinese
Government in Peking with a view to the riddance from the seas of
this dangerous outcome of the war.
It has been suggested that if pecuniary rewards were offered to the
fishermen on the coast who located and were instrumental in
conveying information as to the position of floating mines to
certain specified ports, arrangements might be made between the
Chinese and foreign governments to hold vessels of war in readiness
to proceed to the spot indicated with a view to their destruction.
If the rewards were sufficiently large, the fishermen would
doubtless combine and arrange that one of their number should stand
by the mine until assistance arrived.
I have, etc.,
(Signed)
J. Andersch, Chairman.
[Inclosure
4—Translation.]
The German minister
to the Prince of Ch’ing.
Your Imperial Highness: On a previous
occasion I had the honor to address your imperial highness begging
you to instigate effective measures on the part of the Chinese
Government to remove the terrible danger to international navigation
caused by the presence of floating mines in the waters adjacent to
the coast of China. Another fine vessel and many lives have recently
been lost, falling victims to the scourge.
The senior consul in Shanghai has again had recourse to our
interposition, pointing out the menace which these mines offer to
navigation between Shanghai and the ports of north China.
My honorable colleagues have joined me in this request. I have,
therefore, the honor, in my capacity as doyen of the diplomatic
corps, to invite the attention of your imperial highness to the fact
that the measures taken, up to the present time, to destroy the
mines floating along the coast of China have been insufficient, and
that it appears to be most urgent that more effective steps should
be ordered.
The business people of Shanghai who are concerned have suggested the
idea of interesting the fishermen in the destruction of mines by
giving bounties for their discovery. If these bounties were
sufficient they might organize small flotillas to search for mines,
on the discovery of which some of the boats could remain in the
vicinity of the mine while others went to call for the assistance of
special vessels or war ships.
I avail, etc.,
[Page 303]
[Inclosure 5.]
The Prince of Ch’ing
to the German minister, clean of the diplomatic
corps.
(Received November 15,
1905.)
On the 15th of the tenth moon, XXXI year, Kuanghsü (November 11,
1905), I had the honor to receive a dispatch from your excellency,
saying that you had already requested my Government to adopt
measures for the removal of mines floating on the surface of the
sea, and that now another large vessel had fallen a victim to this
evil, and that therefore the senior consul at Shanghai had called
attention to the inadequacy of the measures so far taken for
removing the danger from these floating mines in the sea between
Shanghai and the northern ports, and that it might be well perhaps
to interest the fishermen in the matter of their removal and thus
get rid of the danger.
As to this matter, in the third moon of the present year I received a
note from your excellency with regard to measures for searching for
the floating mines, and my board thereupon telegraphed to the
superintendent of trade for the north, and sent a reply to your
excellency, as the records will show.
Later I received a communication from the superintendent of trade for
the north, saying that he had sent the Hai-ch’en and other vessels to make search, and they had
secured three mines.
On the receipt of your excellency’s present dispatch I have sent
instructions to the superintendents of trade for the south and the
north to deal with the matter, and for the present I send this
reply, as in duty bound, for your excellency’s information.
A necessary dispatch.
Kuanghsü, XXXI year, tenth moon, 19th day
(November 15, 1905).
[seal.]
