File 6351/43.
Minister Rockhill to the Secretary of State.
Peking, August 22, 1907.
Sir: I was informed yesterday that the Chinese Government had, four days ago, sent a note to the French and Japanese chargés d’affaires stating that China took exception to the clause of the Franco-Japanese agreement of June 10 last, in which it is said that, “having a special interest to have the order and pacific state of things preserved, especially in the regions of the Chinese Empire adjacent to the territories where they have the rights of sovereignty, protection, or occupation (the Governments of France and Japan), engage to support each other for assuring the peace and security of those regions, etc.” The Wai-wu Pu stated in its note that the maintenance of peace and security in the portions of the Chinese Empire referred to was the concern of China, and of no other power.
It appears probable that this protest is due to the representations recently made by the Viceroy Yuan Shih-k’ai in his memorial to the Throne (see my dispatch No. 696, of August 15), one paragraph of which had reference to the Franco-Japanese agreement in its relation to China.
The chargés d’affaires of France and Japan have referred the note of the Wai-wu Pu to their respective governments.
I have, etc.,