[Inclosure.]
Minister Rockhill to Prince
Ch’ing.
American Legation,
Peking, October 3,
1905.
Your Imperial Highness: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of the note which your highness sent me
under date of the 26th September in reply to that which I addressed
to you on the 13th of the same month calling your attention to the
inadequacy of the measures taken by the viceroy of the Liang Kuang
for arresting the agitation in his province against American
interests.
In his reply to you the viceroy makes the following statement:
“Upon the receipt recently of the imperial edict I at once directed
the prefect and district magistrate to go in person to the hall of
assembly and read the edict to the company, and to exhort and induce
the merchants to disperse in obedience to the edict, and await the
negotiations of a fair arrangement by the board of foreign affairs
and the American Government.”
With this perfunctory action the viceroy appears to have considered
that his duty in the matter has been discharged, for the
consul-general of the United States in Canton has reported that
careful search through the city has shown that only a few copies of
the edict have been posted in the city of Canton, and none in the
other cities of the Liang Kuang in which he had had search for them
made. In his correspondence with the consul-general of the United
States the viceroy has persistently ignored every representation or
request made him concerning the inefficiency of the measures adopted
by him. The losses and embarrassment suffered by trade on account of
this unlawful agitation are as great now as before the publication
of the imperial edict, and they bid fair to increase steadily.
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In the above-quoted communication from the viceroy to your highness,
the writer says further that:
“The local authorities have been able only to take measures to
suppress it gradually, and at present the agitation is little by
little quieting down. If more hasty measures were to be taken they
would stir up revolution, and it would be more difficult than ever
to ward off calamity.”
Admitting that the authority of the viceroy must be exercised with
caution among a turbulent and excitable people like those of the
Liang Kuang Provinces, and admitting, further, that the viceroy is
thoroughly in earnest in carrying out to the letter the imperial
commands, it is inconceivable, however, that he should allow the
impression to become general, as it undoubtedly has, that he is only
desirous of having the people bide their time before putting the
boycott into effect. In my note of the 26th September I had occasion
of calling your highness’s attention to this extraordinary argument
of the viceroy. He seems not to have changed his views, although now
even a greater responsibility rests on him than before.
I have once more to most strongly urge on your highness the pressing
necessity of orders being given to the viceroy which will compel him
to take measures for the complete termination of this boycott. The
Government of the United States can not for a moment admit that the
Emperor’s representative in the Liang Kuang Provinces is unable to
suppress the agitation, and any delay on his part to do so will
inevitably be understood by my government as a flagrant
manifestation of hostility by an agent of your government, for whose
shortcomings the Imperial Government must be held responsible.
I avail, etc.,
