Mr. Rockhill to Mr. Hay.
Peking, March 12, 1901.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that after a week passed without a meeting of the diplomatic corps, so as to enable the commission appointed by it to prepare a body of rules to be followed in passing [Page 102] on the various claims of companies, societies, and private individuals against the Chinese Government, a general meeting of the corps was held to-day for consideration of the report of this commission.
Before the question was, however, taken up it was deemed desirable to see if any agreement could be reached by the foreign representatives as to the ulterior lists of punishments which it had been agreed to demand of the Chinese Government. The Russian minister immediately made a declaration that under instructions from his Government he could not take any part in any further discussion concerning any punishments whatever; that he had been ordered by his Government to declare that it considered this subject closed with the punishments already inflicted. The British minister then asked the representatives if they would affirm their vote of the previous meeting, in which they had decided, in principle, upon transmitting these demands to the Chinese Government. This was done, and the diplomatic corps, with the exception of the Russian minister, was unanimous in its decision that these punishments should be asked for. The British minister added that he had categorical instructions from his Government to insist on this question, and his colleagues agreed that it should not be dropped. I restated the President’s and your views on the subject, as contained in your telegraphic instructions of February 19 and 23, but for the sake of maintaining unanimity I voted with my colleagues. The representatives will now await the decision of their Governments on the subject, to whom they have telegraphed the declaration of the Russian minister.
The commission of the diplomatic corps intrusted with the work relating to the diplomatic quarter then submitted a draft of the proclamation to be published in this section of the city, requiring of the Chinese property holders to show within twenty days titles to the property owned by them in this section of the city, so that a basis might be found for establishing the amount of the indemnification which they may be entitled to on being expropriated. A Chinese official appointed by the Chinese peace commissioners will assist the commissioners in this work.
The Chinese commissioners having, in a memorandum recently communicated to the foreign representatives, raised objections to the public buildings belonging to the Chinese Government and situated within the proposed diplomatic quarter, being included in the land to be ceded to the powers, the commission on the diplomatic quarter was authorized to confer with the Chinese plenipotentiaries on the subject, and to endeavor to reach a compromise with them.
The subject of indemnities was then taken up by the conference, and the various members were asked if they had received replies from their Governments to the four questions they had agreed to submit to them on February 17, and which were telegraphed to you by Mr. Conger on that date. I stated briefly your views on the subject and also your suggestion that, in case of protracted disagreement as to the distribution of the indemnity, we would accept the suggestion made by Russia, that the matter be referred to the Hague Tribunal. The Russian minister stated that he was not aware that his Government had actually made this proposition, that it was a mere indication, and he was not prepared to say that his Government would finally accept it. The British minister said categorically that his Government did not favor the Hague Tribunal, and the French minister did not consider [Page 103] the proposition favorably, though he was willing that it should be discussed, as a possible solution in case of necessity. The meeting adjourned without the report on the commission of indemnities having been read, to meet again to-morrow. On my return from the conference, I telegraphed you the substance of the declaration of the Russian minister, and the action I had taken, and in view of the possibility of the majority of the representatives agreeing within a few days on some plan which may necessitate communication to the conference of the sum which each power expects as war indemnity, and that which it may ask on account of private claims, I renewed my request already made on March 2, that I should be informed on the subject.
In the afternoon I met the Russian and British ministers, to prepare a report embodying a plan for carrying out the provisions of Article V of the Joint Note, concerning the interdiction of the importation of arms, etc., into China. As soon as this report has been discussed by the conference I will transmit a copy of it to you. From the expression of views of my colleagues, I gather that it will be found absolutely impracticable to enforce this prohibition. The only power which seems earnestly desirous of stringently carrying it out is Russia, which has also included a similar prohibition in the demands recently made by it on China at St. Petersburg.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,