Mr. Rockhill to Mr. Hay.
Peking, China, March 2, 1901.
Sir: The diplomatic representatives at their conference this morning, after having read a note from the Chinese peace commissioners stating that reports had been received from the various high officials designated to see that the death sentences against Prince Chuang, Ying Men, Chao Shu-chiao, and Yü Hsien had been duly carried out, and that these personages had either committed suicide or been executed between the 21st and 24th of February, decided, nevertheless, to ask for an Imperial decree stating these facts.
The representatives then took up for consideration the plan of defense of the legation quarter. After a lengthy exchange of views on the subject, and in view of the declarations made by the British minister and myself that we could not discuss the subject until it had been fully examined by our respective Governments, it was agreed to refer the whole matter to our Governments for instructions.
The plan of defense is embodied in the report of the mixed military commission which was forwarded to you by Mr. Conger in his No. 536, of the 16th of February. I thoroughly concur with the views therein expressed, and shall oppose adopting or beginning work on any system of defense at present.
I submitted to-day to my colleagues that the political side of this question, as well as of all the questions connected with military measures to be taken in this province, was infinitely the most important, and they must all agree with me that the carrying out of the elaborate plan provided for by the report was of very doubtful expediency, if we propose to try and establish cordial relations with the Chinese Government. We had, by the terms of the Joint Note, acquired the right to make the diplomatic quarter defensible, and to hold with military forces the lines of communication with the sea, but we should, I thought, confine ourselves to letting the “Chinese know that we will only exercise these rights so far as conditions may require, and that the extent of our defensive measures, both in Peking and along the lines of communication, must always depend on the spirit which may animate the Chinese Government and people.
The plan of defense submitted is, furthermore, entirely dependent on an assured permanent garrison in Peking of 2,000 men; but the Russian and British ministers and I stated that our Governments had not agreed to maintain this number permanently and, I added, the United States would not agree to enter into any scheme of permanent occupation; could not, in fact, without legislative action. I said that so far as we were concerned, we reserved absolute liberty of action, not only as to the number of the guard we might keep here, but even to keeping any guard here at all.
The concensus of opinion of the conference was that only such works of defense should be undertaken as were unobtrusive; the razing of the superstructures over the Hata men and the Chien men and a number of other measures deemed indispensable by the military committee seemed to most of the representatives very impolitic. I shall do nothing in the matter without your detailed instructions.
The conference will take up in its next meeting, some time next week, the study of the question of indemnities. The discussion of the [Page 97] principles to govern the presentation of claims promises to occupy a number of meetings.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,