893.51/4444: Telegram

The Minister in China (Schurman) to the Secretary of State

391. My 386, December 6, 7 p.m. Following from American consul general Canton:

“December 8, noon. Your telegram of December 6, 7 p.m. received and carefully noted. In my opinion Sun intends to carry out threat to seize customs in spite of two weeks’ postponement. Sun has just given statement to local representative of Associated Press declaring Canton Government intend to require Commissioner of Customs to hold all revenues collected within its territory at disposal of this Government so long as customs revenues from rest of China are sufficient to meet foreign commitments charged on China’s Maritime Customs. Report by mail follows.”

[Page 566]

[Paraphrase.] If the consul general is right and Sun Yat-sen means business the question will face us as to whether or not we should take the customhouse before Sun does, and, by the use of force, prevent him from taking control of it. My French colleague informs me that the French Admiral favors this. The admiral has but just arrived on the China station. Our naval attache thinks that Sun will not try to take the customhouse if we occupy it first, but that if he takes it first he will resist if we try to dislodge him. I shall telegraph our consul general to inquire of the senior United States naval officer at Canton as to his views on the wisdom of taking the customhouse and tomorrow I will consult other ministers who are interested and cable the Department. I will let you know before I commit the Department to anything further. I am aware of the fact that in case the foreign powers take the customhouse, Sun Yat-sen may meet that move by declaring Canton to be a free port. That would leave us to either declare a blockade, which personally I do not approve, or give up the contest. Any way you look at it, it is an awkward situation.

The Government here is giving indications of becoming restive. The day before yesterday Koo told me that the Chinese were bombarding him with inquiries as to the action of the foreign powers at Canton. I told him that to pretend that we were not looking after our own interests would be affectation. I begged him, however, to keep in mind that by so doing we also were doing a kind and friendly act for the Chinese Government in assisting it to keep its principal source of revenue intact. It seems to me that Koo’s feelings are torn between gratification that probably his customhouse will be saved to him and anguish that the saving is going to be done by foreigners. In general the Peking Government feels the same, and in high official circles there appears, curiously enough, a kind of sneaking sympathy for Sun Yat-sen’s claims I have requested Ferguson75 to see President Tsao Kun to explain to him the situation and try to convince him that it is unwise to look a gift horse in the mouth and that he ought to be thankful for what the powers are doing. Ferguson agreed that he would do so at the earliest favorable opportunity. He declares himself to be heartily in favor of the attitude of the powers. [End paraphrase.]

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For the Minister:
Bell
  1. J. C. Ferguson, American citizen, adviser to the Chinese President.