893.105/18: Telegram
The Minister in China (Schurman) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:40 p.m.]
289. Plan for reorganization of Chinese railway police previously submitted by British Minister, was after amendment unanimously adopted by committee August 20th for report to diplomatic body together with draft of covering letter to be sent by dean to the Foreign Office. Japanese Minister gave approval subject to instructions from his Government which it was noted applied to others also.
Reference is made in covering letter to declaration in joint note of August 9th [10th] that the diplomatic body considers it to be its duty to aid the Chinese Government in carrying out reforms in the existing railway police system or to collaborate with it in that task. It is not stated, however, whether draft of accompanying plan is meant as a proposal to be considered or an ultimatum to be adopted by the Chinese Government.
Plan provides for the establishment of a directorate of railway police in the Department of the Directorate General of Railways in the Ministry of Communications to be controlled by a Chinese director of railway police and a foreign associate director. Latter shall have equal rank and authority with the Chinese director and shall be appointed by the Chinese Government in consultation with the diplomatic body and on terms acceptable to it. This directorate shall reorganize and manage the police on all railways now or hereafter under the control of the Ministry of Communications. The object of such reorganization is primarily to form an efficient force for the protection of travelers on the railways and for protecting railway property against theft or damage, maintaining order at stations and assisting the railway administration to deal with disorder or the breach of regulations on trains and also to cooperate with provincial authorities by a system of detectives and patrols to prevent attacks on the railways by brigands. To that end the directorate shall employ experienced foreign officers who shall act as instructors and inspectors and it is tentatively suggested that some twenty would be required.
The Chinese director of railway police and the foreign associate director within two months of their appointment shall draw up together a detailed scheme of the reorganization and efficient management of the railway police on the lines of this initial project and with a view to carrying out the objects enumerated therein. This detailed scheme when completed together with the names of the foreign officers to be appointed and the terms of their contracts, shall be submitted in the first instance to the diplomatic body for its approval, [Page 690] after which detailed scheme shall be put into force and no alterations shall be made in its provisions without the consent and approval of the two directors.
Apart from occasions of the authorized movement of troops all railway property shall be put out of bounds for military officers or soldiers, except when their assistance is called for by the railway police or when traveling with tickets as ordinary passengers.
Plan calls for foreign chief accountants on the railways to safeguard funds for expenses of the new directorate and railway police, and these expenses are treated as part of the ordinary running costs which have priority even over loan obligations. Expenditures already supposed to be incurred in principal railways for police from China amount to $1,600,000 annually. With this sum the new system would begin, and it would provide a force of 6,000 men. Force would be increased as railway revenues under good management improved. But now and always the actual protection of the lines against large organized bands of brigands and the work of bandit suppression in the regions traversed by the railways must remain the responsibility of the provincial governors as set forth in the joint note of August 10.
The following of the plan is quoted verbatim:
“In order that the foreign chief accountants of the various railways may be in a position to furnish without fail or delay the funds required for police expenses, the directorate general of railways will make arrangements satisfactory to the diplomatic body on all lines where such arrangements are not already in force for the safe custody of railway revenue and for its application only to purposes and obligations under the joint supervision of the Chinese managing directors and foreign chief accountants, and as a measure for improving the efficiency of railway operation and increasing the revenue, the directorate general of railways will engage on all lines experienced foreign traffic managers and inspectors to cooperate with the railway police in the due discharge of their functions.”
The arrangements of the plan are to remain in force 10 years when Chinese Government and diplomatic body shall determine whether they are to be continued, revised, or abrogated.
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