Mr. Rockhill to Mr.
Hay.
No. 100.]
Commissioner of
the United States to China,
Peking,
China, May 30,
1901.
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith for your
information copy of a letter addressed to me by Li Hung-chang under date of
May 17, urging that he may be permitted by the commander of the
international forces to use the regular Chinese forces at his command to
restore order in the province. A similar letter was addressed to the other
representatives and to Field Marshal Count von Waldersee.
I also inclose translation of the letter the field marshal has addressed to
the military commanders here, detailing the steps he has taken to comply
with Viceroy Li’s request.
I am informed that there are now about 13,000 Chinese regulars in the
province, and that several thousands more of Yuan Shih-kai’s foreign-drilled
troops are shortly expected to arrive from Shan-tung. These latter, Viceroy
Li has told me, will be employed as a police force in Peking as soon as the
foreign troops are withdrawn. They are the best disciplined troops In China,
and I think will discharge their delicate duty in Peking well.
It is hoped that a date for the evacuation of Peking may be agreed upon at a
very early date.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.—Translation.]
Li Hung-chang to
Mr. Rockhill.
Your Excellency: I have the honor to inform you
that I have received a communication from Major-General “Kai-lu” (i. e.,
Von Gayl) saying that he had received a dispatch from Count von
Waldersee stating that in the region, south and southwest of Cheng-ting
Boxers were daily increasing in number and that if China were unable to
quickly exterminate them he proposed to send a large force and
[Page 183]
pursue them straight into the
borders of Shansi and clear them out. On this account General “Kai-lu”
had written me the above letter, which was submitted for my examination,
etc.
As to this matter I have to say that the Boxers were originally idle
vagabonds who at first did no more than pretend to be expert jugglers,
hoping thereby to assemble a crowd of followers and fool them out of
their money. Later they presumed on the name of enemies to the church to
stir up ill feeling and cause the ignorant populace to join them, and
lest the local officials should seize them they again changed their
tactics and adopted the motto, “Protect the Ch’ing and destroy the
foreigners,” to manifest their loyalty and to cover up all traces of
rebellious designs. It never occurred to me that the principal local
officials and high ministers of state would neglect to search out their
treasonable conspiracies, but instead become their leaders, even to the
extent of deceiving those who were in the palace into listening to their
angry and lawless words till the fire had spread abroad and could not be
extinguished; and after the allied armies of all countries had come to
the capital these Boxers fought again and again before they learned that
they could not overcome. Then they changed their clothes, became
farmers, or fled to their holes, or went into hiding.
On receiving the Imperial commands transferring me to the capital I sent
orders to all the civil and military officials under my authority,
commanding them in a large proclamation to use their energies and seize
(these offenders). Although in every chou and hsien men were being
continually seized and executed by the military authorities, these
altogether did not amount to more than one or two in a hundred, and the
greater part had the good fortune to escape. According to the usual
procedure, strict orders ought to be given to search out and arrest
them, that the evil may be rooted out. But there is no help, for
wherever the allies go if they see our soldiers their suspicions are
aroused at once and they either prevent our soldiers moving forward or
search and seize their rifles and cannon, with the result that our
troops, even in their distant camps outside the “red line,” are unable
to carry on any operations. Should they have occasion to attempt to
seize robbers they are stopped by repeating rifles and quick-firing
guns, so that the Boxers have dangerous weapons and our men almost none
at all and can only sit down with their hands tied. All this is due not
to the fact that our Government does not desire to seize the Boxers, nor
is it that they are unwilling to quickly exterminate them; still less is
it that our troops are not strong enough to deal with the Boxers. It is
simply because of the allies’ interference in every place that things
have come to this pass.
Now that peace negotiations are in progress and the troops are soon to be
withdrawn, the duty of dealing with local bandits is one that ought to
devolve upon myself. Count von Waldersee speaks of quickly exterminating
them. Naturally it is our own desire that the country should be quickly
pacified. If the foreign powers are in earnest in their desire for
international good will they should allow us quickly to put down the
rebellion among the people, and I have to request that they will give
orders to their various district commanders to permit me to gather and
arrange troops and order the various camps to divide the country among
them, assume responsibility each for its own section, and take proper
weapons and use diligence in exterminating (these offenders). I dare
guarantee that within one or two months all roads will be quiet and
orderly and that there will be no more danger of Boxers. But it ought to
be clearly agreed that our troops shall have a permit, written in all
languages, and that should they meet with any foreign troops on the
road, on inspection of this permit, they shall be allowed to pass. Thus
mutual clashing will be avoided. In such a case the ministers of the
various powers residing in Peking on the one hand should inform their
military officials at all points, and on the other should give a permit
in 10 odd sections (?), which should first be sent to me, commanding
each army, on examination of the permit, to allow the bearers to pass,
that there may be no more interference with their marching nor seizing
of their arms. Then friendly intercourse will prevail, and China and the
foreign powers more than ever have mutual peace. Since last year the
armies of the various powers have in our stead dealt with the Boxers,
but the speech of the foreign soldiers can not be understood by the
people, and when these latter flee it is impossible to distinguish
honest folk from Boxers and very difficult to get hold of the latter.
Therefore the use of foreign soldiers in dealing with the Boxers is not
to be compared in effectiveness with our seizing them ourselves. As in
duty bound, I send this dispatch for your information, and I have to beg
that your excellency will give it your favorable consideration. I trust
you will readily respond to this request, and I shall anxiously await
your reply.
[Page 184]
[Inclosure 2.—Translation.]
Count von Waldersee
to General Voyron.
General
Headquarters, Peking,
Winter
Palace, May 19,
1901.
So as to furnish the Chinese Government the opportunity of proving its
good will and its ability to maintain with its own forces tranquillity
and order in the country, I have agreed with the grand secretary, Li
Hung-chang, that, beginning on the 26th of the present month, the
Chinese regular troops shall have full liberty of moving about in the
region to the north and to the east of the line of Cha-tao, Huai-lu,
Ping-ku Hsien, San-ho Hsien, and Pan-ti Hsien (including these
localities), and shall be charged with repressing brigandage.
In the south also, in conformity with the wish expressed by your
excellency that Sin-lo should be the extreme point of the occupation in
the south, I have drawn the line of demarcation of the points occupied
by the allied troops so that it follows now the course of the Mu-chu Ho,
to the north of Ho-chien and to the south of Sin-lo.
I have the honor to request your excellency, in case you agree with me,
to inform the troops under your orders of the above facts, and to be so
kind as to request them not to interfere with the movements of the
Chinese troops, passes having been delivered to the Chinese generals in
question within the region which is assigned to them, and under no
circumstances to attack them.
Furthermore, I have requested the grand secretary to inform me
immediately of the places to which he intends bringing Chinese troops in
greater numbers, so that in the case of an eventual evacuation by the
allies of the cities of Peking and Paoting Fu they can undertake the
rapid occupation of those points.
A. von Waldersee,
General Field Marshal.
Mutatis mutandis to the commanding generals of
the various foreign contingents.
