893.00/4327
The Minister in China (Schurman) to the Consular Officers in
China30
Peking, March 29,
1922.
Circular No. 46
Gentlemen: The Legation has to transmit
herewith for your information and guidance a copy of a note from the
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, dated March 23, 1922, relative to the
present dangers to the travel of foreigners in the border regions of
Szechuan Province.
I am [etc.]
(For the Minister)
A. B.
Ruddock
[Enclosure—Translation]
The Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs
(W. W.
Yen) to the American
Minister (Schurman)
[Peking,] March 23,
1922.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that a
telegram has been received from the Commander-in-Chief of the
Military Forces in Szechuan, General Liu Hsiang, to the following
effect:
“On a previous occasion, owing to the numbers of brigands in
the border regions of Szechuan, the office of the
Commissioner for Foreign Affairs at Chengtu in December,
1919, addressed communications to the various foreign
consuls in the province, informing them that the border
regions of Szechuan province were not peaceful and that the
travel of foreign persons in such regions was temporarily
suspended. This is on record. At the present time the bandit
activities in that region are still dangerous and foreigners
traveling in Szechuan unavoidably incur danger. It is
requested that the Minister for Foreign Affairs address a
request to the foreign ministers in Peking, asking them to
instruct their respective nationals temporarily not to
proceed to the border regions of Szechuan in order that
untoward incidents may be avoided.”
I have the honor to observe that bandits are intermittently active on
the borders of Szechuan and that although troops have been sent to
subdue them, yet up to the present time peace has not been restored.
Foreigners traveling in those regions, therefore, incur great danger
and the request made by the Commander-in-Chief quoted above is based
upon a sincere solicitude for the lives of foreign persons. His
request is, moreover, in accordance with treaty provisions,
[Page 863]
and I have the honor to
convey it to your attention, Mr. Minister, with the request that you
issue instructions to the missionaries and merchants of your country
temporarily not to proceed to the regions in question in order that
untoward incidents may be avoided.
Hoping that this may be done, I have the honor to convey my
compliments.
Seal of the Ministry for Foreign
Affairs
