File No. 893.00/2862
The Minister in China (
Reinsch) to
the Secretary of State
No. 2082
Peking,
June 5, 1918.
Sir: I have the honor to report that by
reason of the cruel conduct of the troops in Hunan Province, as more
fully reported in the despatches from Hunan, forwarded with my No.
2083, and in view [Page 97] of the
incidental danger to foreign life and property, a large number of
representative American and British residents of Changsha addressed
a petition to the British and American Ministers asking that the
Chinese military authorities be reminded of their obligation to
extend full protection to foreign property and life.
In an informal conversation with the British Minister and with the
Japanese Minister, the latter having also received alarming reports
from his Consul at Changsha, I suggested that the Chinese Government
be addressed in a joint note declaring that “the personal and
individual responsibility of the commanding officers for any injury
which may befall foreign residents as a result of the lack of proper
control over their troops will be insisted upon by our Governments.”
My colleagues agreed to this proposal and on May 29 a joint note was
dispatched to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, a copy of which is
enclosed herewith.
In conversation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs on May 29, I
also took pains to emphasize the fact that the remissness of certain
of the military commanders in allowing promiscuous looting and other
outrages was being observed with decided disapproval, and that aside
from the general responsibility of the Chinese Government for
injuries which might result to the foreign residents the personal
and individual responsibility of the commanders ought to be
emphatically brought to their attention. The Minister for Foreign
Affairs agreed that this should be done.
At the time when the reports from Changsha indicated the imminence of
special danger, about the middle of May, I advised Admiral Knight
that it would be desirable to send, if possible, two gunboats to
Changsha. The Admiral gave orders to this effect but on account of
the accident to the Palos, only one could
proceed to Changsha. Fortunately the situation has since somewhat
improved.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
Joint note from the American, British, and Japanese Ministers in
China to the Chinese Minister for Foreign
Affairs (
Lu Cheng-hsiang)
Excellency: As the wanton and
barbarous conduct towards the civil population, of which the
troops in Hunan have been guilty, has unfortunately already
involved incidental injury to foreigners in their person and
property and as if outrageous conduct of this kind is permitted
to continue, there is great danger that more serious injury will
be suffered by foreign residents, it is incumbent upon us to
bring to your excellency’s attention the urgent need that the
Central Government should in peremptory terms inform the
Military Governor of Hunan and the other generals there in
command that they will be held individually and personally
responsible for any injury which may befall foreign residents as
a result of the lack of proper control over their troops. This
personal and individual responsibility of the commanding
officers will be insisted upon by our Governments as a part of
the general responsibility of your excellency’s Government for
any injuries to foreign residents.
The present remonstrance is occasioned by the fact that no
effective attempt to protect foreign properties from looting was
made by the commanders of the troops concerned in these outrages
and when his responsibility for the conduct of the Government
troops was brought to the attention of the Military Governor of
Changsha, he stated that he could not control the soldiers of
other generals. For this reason it is necessary that the
Military Governor himself, [Page 98] whose troops are known to have been guilty of great excesses,
as well as the other generals in command, should be emphatically
put in mind of their responsibility; but also that any general
occupying the position of military governor of a province shall
not be allowed to evade complete responsibility on the plea that
he can not control any of the Government troops within that
province. The alternative to a failure or inability to control
under such circumstances is plain. The example of more than one
general in the province has shown that it is possible even under
the conditions there prevailing to exercise a strict control
over troops. The laudable energy and strong character of such
commanders, through whose conduct the safety of foreign
residents is guaranteed, has been duly noted.
We avail [etc.]
[File copy not signed]
