393.1123 Lincheng/239: Telegram
The Minister in China (Schurman) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 5—4:51 p.m.]
331. Your 213, October 4, 6 p.m.22 Following translation of diplomatic body’s note dated yesterday:
“The diplomatic body have examined with great care Your Excellency’s note of September 24 regarding the Lincheng incident and were glad to find in it along with a personal expression of the regret felt in China for that deplorable outrage a positive declaration that the Chinese Government and people were not actuated by any anti-foreign feeling.
The diplomatic body however feel bound to recall that in their note of August 10th they did not declare the existence of an anti-foreign movement in China: they declared the existence of a situation resulting from the development of brigandage in China threatening with danger the life, liberty, rights and property of foreigners residing in this country. In this regard the special character of the Lincheng outrage does not appear to have been understood by the Chinese Government and the diplomatic body are obliged on this important point to rectify the statements contained in Your Excellency’s note.
[Page 705]Contrary to these statements it is irrefutably established by the facts themselves that the Lincheng outrage was directed against foreigners.
The instigators of the Lincheng attack declared on many occasions that their purpose was to capture foreigners and to make use of their foreign nationality in order to bring pressure to bear upon the legations charged with the protection of the hostages and through these legations upon the Chinese Government. This purpose the Lincheng bandits succeeded in accomplishing in all its details, and they negotiated with the Chinese Government under cover of their foreign hostages whom they did not release until they had gained their object. Their method was copied from that of the Honan brigands in 1922, it has been imitated since by the Hupeh brigands who murdered their hostage Father Melotto and very recently by the Honan brigands who carried off two foreign women to a fate still unknown. Every foreigner may well fear and does fear the same fate. That is the essential character of the Lincheng outrage.
The diplomatic body had hoped that following this incident the Chinese Government would inaugurate vigorous action against the brigands who infest the country. However the measures in Your Excellency’s note of September 24th last remain ineffective as it is not enough to give an order to pursue the brigands but above all it is necessary that the brigands be actually pursued. The local authorities do not manifest at this time any [zeal] in the repression of brigandage which is still rife in most of the provinces and while at the same time their best military forces continue to be employed in those civil wars which bring so much suffering and misery to the captured [Chinese people?].
Under these conditions the diplomatic body mindful of the necessity of assurances of [of assuring] respect for the life, liberty, rights and property of foreigners in China and desirous of contributing to the restoration of the rule of law and order in this great country find themselves compelled to maintain in their entirety the considerations and conclusions of their collective note of August 10th last. They therefore call upon the Chinese Government to execute the measures indicated in their above-mentioned note.”
- Not printed.↩