File No. 1571/26.
Chargé Fletcher to
the Secretary of State.
American Legation,
Peking, November 10,
1909.
No. 1288.]
Sir: Referring to my dispatch, No. 1271, of
October 11, 1909, on the subject of the Whangpoo conservancy, I have the
honor to inclose herewith copies of the ensuing correspondence between
the
[Page 87]
foreign office and the dean
of the diplomatic body, and to state that at the last meeting of the
foreign representatives on Monday, November 1, the reply of the Chinese
Government (inclosure No. 4) was considered unsatisfactory and
insufficient, and the dean was authorized to again address the foreign
office and endeavor to obtain a more satisfactory and definite
reply.
I inclose also two clippings on the same subject from the North China
Daily News on the 14th and 18th of October.1 M. de Rijke has now returned from Japan and a
decision must shortly be reached as to whether the syndicate or the
company will be given the contract for the dredging. It would seem that
Astraea Channel has not suffered serious damage from the delay in
resuming the sdredging work.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure
1.—Translation.]
Aide mémoire from the Wai-wu
Pu to the Dean of the Diplomatic
Corps.
His excellency the dean of the diplomatic corps, addressed to us a
short time ago an aide mémoire on the subject of the systematizing
of the work on the Whangpoo and in which he communicated the
following:
From the report of the engineer in chief on the question
concerning the means to be employed to procure the necessary
funds and the manner of yearly disbursement thereof, it
appears that it will take five years, at a total cost of
$9,360,830, the dredging of a certain place, as mentioned in
the report, not being included. An inquiry is therefore made
as to the proposed manner of obtaining the necessary
funds.
We find that the final protocol of 1901, concerning the dredging of
the Whangpoo estimates the cost of the works during 20 years at an
annual outlay of 460,000 haikwan taels and stipulates that this
amount shall be defrayed by China and the foreign powers equally, i.
e., one-half by China and the other half by the foreign powers.
Later on, a new arrangement was made with the powers whereby China
alone assumed liability for all expenses of the enterprise and
guaranteed the sum 460,000 haikwan taels, which had already been
fixed by the treaty of 1901, every year for a period of 20 years.
According to Engineer de Ryke’s plan of 1907 the work was to be
finished in four years at a cost of 8,000,000 taels. As the said
engineer had been recognized by all the powers, China necessarily
had confidence in him. For this reason his plan was adopted. In
accordance with the time stated the work should be finished next
year without requiring any increase of funds. The said engineer
should have completed the wok in due course, according to the
present estimate, and within the time fixed, but to our great
surprise he now suddenly requires fresh sums for the work which is
quite at variance with the arrangement made. China has expended
large sums to open the new navigable channel and to close the old
one, and does not wish to allow it to silt up, thereby losing the
work accomplished. Our board has upon several occasions telegraphed
to the Shanghai Taotai to seek means to procure funds and to press
the engineer to complete at the earliest possible moment the work of
dredging one section after the other without delay, and at the same
time to send us by telegraph a detailed plan for the completion of
the remainder of the work that we may examine it. As soon as we
receive an answer we will acquaint you with it. In the meantime we
send this aide mémoire for your excellency’s information, and
request that you likewise inform their excellencies the ministers of
the other foreign powers of its contents.
[Page 88]
[Inclosure 2.]
memorial.
Peking, 16th October,
1909.
The Wai-wu Pu to His Excellency the
Dean of the Diplomatic Body.
It is in the records that we have sent a memorial on the 9th of
October regarding the works for the correction of the Whangpoo
River.
Now, we are in receipt of the telegraphic answer of the Shanghai
tao-t’ai, in which he says:
According to the sum fixed China has provided sufficient
funds, and the work hitherto done early has been examined
and approved by officials and merchants of all
nationalities. Also, all the ministers residing in Peking
say that good results have been obtained. This shows that
China, conforming to all articles of the special treaty
concerning the correction of the Whangpoo River, acted in
full accordance with them and did not delay. The cost for
dredging work, amounting to 300,000 taels, is not included
in the sum fixed by the special treaty. As this is a work of
great importance, that company which has made the cheapest
and most satisfactory tenders, in accordance with the terms
of the specifications, has already been selected to
undertake the work. As the engineer, de Rijke, is sick he
has gone to Japan for treatment. The other works of all
kinds which are executed in the original way have not been
finished yet and still are carried on as usual; besides, as
the construction of the jetties has not yet come to an end,
how could the Li chi company (East Asiatic Dredging Co.)
discontinue the work.
Out of this explanation of the Shanghai tao-t’ai we find that none of
the different works have been suspended. As to the dredging work,
likewise sufficient funds have been prepared already and a company
has been selected for the execution. This shows sufficiently that
China is acting according to the treaties and does not spare
efforts. As these affairs are of greatest importance to the Chinese
Government and the views are differing, the governor of Kiangsu, by
imperial command, has been ordered specially to proceed to Shanghai
to direct the Shanghai tao-t’ai to inspect in detail and to find
reliable methods, in order to arrive at a satisfactory result.
Therefore we write to your excellency the dean, requesting to notify
the other ministers residing in Peking.
[Inclosure
3—Translation.]
The Dean of the Diplomatic
Corps to His Highness Prince
Ching.
Peking, October 18,
1909.
Highness: I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your highness’s memorandum of the 16th instant,
concerning the Whangpoo conservancy.
It is a matter of satisfaction to learn that the Chinese authorities
have actually at their disposition a sum sufficient to enable the
dredging work to be resumed, and that this work will be undertaken
at once. I have the honor to call your highness’s attention to the
fact that the absence of Mr. de Rijke in Japan would not seem to
have caused any delay in the execution of the work, as the nature of
the work which is not at all complicated does not require the
continual presence of the engineer in chief at Shanghai, and I
presume to think that your highness will agree with me that in the
present circumstances nothing prevents an immediate resumption of
the work.
The foreign representatives attach great importance to uninterrupted
continuance of the conservancy work, failing which free access to
the port of Shanghai can not be assured and Chinese and foreign
commerce would be affected in consequence. For this reason they
would be highly gratified to learn of the decision reached by the
Chinese Government.
I therefore request that your highness be so good as to inform me as
soon as the work of the dredging has actually recommenced. I shall
then be in a position to discuss with your highness and the
ministers of your highness’s board the working plan submitted by Mr.
de Rijke and the question of raising the funds necessary
therefor.
Be pleased to accept, etc.
[Page 89]
[Inclosure
4—Translation.]
Prince of Ch’ing to
the Dean of the Diplomatic
Body.
Your Excellency: On the 6th day of the
ninth moon (October 19), I received your excellency’s dispatch in
which it was said that the dredging work of the Whangpoo presented
no special difficulty and asking that work might be commenced
without delay. Furthermore it was said that all the foreign
ministers regarded the steady continuance of the Whangpoo
conservancy work as of the utmost importance and ask that it may be
genuinely carried on without interruption, and that word may be sent
when the dredging is recommenced so that negotiations may be
reopened in regard to the estimate of the engineer, de Rijke, and
the financial arrangements concerned with his estimates.
My board would remark that it is the duty of China to raise funds
herself and carry out the Whangpoo conservancy work. And this work
will be finished by the spring or summer of next year. China has met
all her obligations under the special Whangpoo conservancy
agreement, and other nations should not have any criticisms to
make.
The dredging is something additional to the original estimates, and
the Shanghai tao-t’ai now telegraphs that on the 12th day of the
present moon (October 25) the engineer, de Rijke, will return to
Shanghai from Japan, and that a date will be at once decided on for
commencing work. There is no reason whatever for reopening
negotiations. Now the Chinese Government looks upon this matter as
of great importance and has specially deputed the governor of
Kiangsu to investigate, and he should devise a satisfactory plan of
work to provide for the future. All the recommendations of the
engineer, de Rijke, will be carefully considered by the governor,
and there is no need to reopen negotiations.
As in duty bound I send this reply to your excellency the dean and
request that it may be communicated to all the ministers.
