File No. 893.00/2462
Minister Reinsch to the Secretary of State
Peking, June 14, 1916.
Sir: I have the honor to report that on June 12, the American Consul in charge at Tientsin telegraphed to the effect that the Japanese had asserted that the French commandant had requested the placing of Japanese troops to guard the railway station in the native city and the Yangtsun bridge on the railway to Peking; the American commandant had been requested to reply as to his concurrence in the plan.
I instructed the Consul to advise the American commandant to reply that any proposal relating to changes in the force patrolling the railway, should be reported to the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in order to be submitted to the Ministers interested for their discussion and eventual approval.
On the merits of the case, there does not seem to be any need for foreign military at the railway station at Tientsin. The placing of a Japanese guard there would only tend to irritate the Chinese, although the Japanese would probably consider it as contributing materially to their prestige.
It is somewhat difficult to understand the motive of the proposal of the French commandant. However, during the apparent uncertainty of conditions of June 6, the French Minister brought to Peking about sixty of the French Indo-Chinese troops stationed at Tientsin. The commandant there may feel that from a military point of view his forces are insufficient. The political aspects of the matter, however, are such that it is not in the interest of France, or any other western Power, to make a change which in the eyes of the Chinese will seem a support of the pretensions of Japan.
If the change is actually proposed by the French Minister and commandant, it will, of course, have to be accepted.
I have [etc.]