American Legation,
Peking, January 15,
1906.
No. 197.][Inclosure.]
The Prince of Ch’ing
to the German minister, dean of the diplomatic
corps.
Your Excellency: With regard to the matter
of the capture and destruction of floating mines, I had the honor to
receive a dispatch from your excellency on November 11, asking if
notice of reward could not be published extensively and measures
taken to remove this danger from the sea. Upon the receipt thereof I
immediately communicated with the superintendents of trade for the
north and south, and replied to your excellency’s dispatch, as the
records show.
I now have the honor to state that I have received the following
letter from the superintendent of trade for the north:
“Effective measures should certainly be taken immediately to be rid
of these floating mines entirely. Upon receipt of your instructions
I at once communicated with Admiral Sa, commander of the northern
and southern division of the admiralty, directing him to order his
subordinates to act in accordance with your instructions, and to
publish notices to the effect that 2,000 taels would be given as a
reward for the capture of one of these floating mines. Subsequently
a reply was received from Admiral Sa, saying that the ships Haich’en,
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Haich’ou, and Feiying,
previously sent to capture and destroy floating mines, had captured
several; that he had later sent 11 students and petty artillery
officers on 11 merchant vessels armed with one-pounders to make a
careful search and to blow up all mines they met; that in the last
few months one of the artillery officers, Chang Ti-lung by name, had
destroyed six of them, having been most successful; that upon
receipt of my instructions he had sent proper orders to all the
boats, and had posted notices of the reward offered in Chinwangtao,
Tengchou, Chefoo, and Jungch’eng; and, finally, that the students
and artillery officers were still to continue their patrol up and
down the coast.”
Having received this information, it becomes my duty to transmit it
to your excellency, as copied above, for your information.
A necessary dispatch.
Kuanghsu, XXXI year, twelfth moon, 2d day
(December 27, 1905).
