No. 142.
Mr. Avery
to Mr. Fish.
Legation of
the United States,
Peking, January 27, 1875.
(Received April 2.)
No. 25.]
Sir: Referring to my No. 15 of December 14, in
which I informed the Department of the common action resolved upon by the
ministers of Great Britain, Russia, the United States, and Denmark, and the
chargés d’affaires of Germany and France, to secure protection for the
Danish cables on this coast, I have now the honor to inform you of the
results so far.
First allow me to express my gratification at the receipt of instructions (No
193, of October 31, 1874) to lend the Danish minister here my good offices.
All the legations joined in this affair are now equally under
instructions.
At a meeting held on the 23d of December, pursuant to agreement, copies of
the protocol, inclosed in my No. 15, were signed and exchanged, and the
notes to be handed in to the Tsungli Yamen, identical in substance but not
in language, were read, compared, and found to be in complete harmony. All
concurred in representing the importance to Chinese, as well as foreign
interests, of maintaining the cables intact, and in requesting the Yamen to
order measures for their protection. It was agreed to ask simply for
protection, and nothing more, leaving recognition to be inferred thereafter.
The notes, or translations thereof, were sent into the Yamen on the 28th of
December. A copy of my own is sent herewith, and represents the spirit of
the whole. On the 12th of January, Prince Kung returned an identical reply,
a translation of which is also given herewith. He relates at some length the
history of previous appeals to the Yamen in behalf of telegraph enterprise
in China, laying particular stress upon the difficulty of preventing injury
to such works, and stating that, with reference to the cables, the imperial
government had explicitly declared beforehand that it would not become
responsible for any damage which might be done to it. The prince adds that
the injuries now said by the ministers to threaten the cables were just what
he had predicted, and he repeats the difficulty of preventing them.
Nevertheless, he has caused copies of the correspondence on the subject to
be sent to the governors-general and high ministers of the maritime
provinces, “that they may take into consideration what measures for
protecting the cable can be devised, and give orders to the local
authorities under them to constantly give it such an oversight as is in
their judgment possible.”
The conclusion of the prince’s letter is more satisfactory than the preamble,
though the real value of the apparent concession will depend upon the
practical measures taken by the officers of the seaboard provinces. Not to
have received the old reply, “It is impossible,” or “We do not see how this
thing can be done,” and there an end, is encouraging. The letter of the
prince impliedly recognizes the cable as a thing to be protected, and has no
word of objection to telegraphs per se. Evidently his
main anxiety is to avoid responsibility for any damage that may occur. If
telegraphs can be erected and maintained without troubling the Yamen, he is
no longer inclined to say they shall not be permitted; but he wants it
understood he is not responsible should they be injured.
This position is some advance on the old attitude of obstinate resistance. It
makes a little progress possible under the prudent enterprise
[Page 261]
of individuals, and prepares the
way for more liberal concessions hereafter.
Owing to the death of the Emperor, which has caused some delay in business,
no response has been yet made to Prince Kung.
* * * * * * *
Meanwhile there is a probability of telegraph discussion on another point.
After encouraging the erection, of a land-line from Foo-chow to Amoy, and
posting proclamations for its protection, the Chinese officials at Foo-chow
threaten to tear down the wires and poles, unless the Danish company stop
the work. As thirty-five miles of wire were stretched at last accounts, and
the people had shown no fear and no hostility, there is no excuse for this
change of attitude on the part of the officials, especially as it is known
the Peking authorities have left them quite free to encourage the enterprise
as they began. General Raasloff has already addressed the Yamen on the
subject, hinting that they would be held responsible for damages should
violence be committed. They expressed surprise at what was said to be going
on; had not one word of objection to the telegraph; promised to write to
Foo-chow in the matter, and altogether seemed to be quite friendly.
Unless the Foo-chow officials shall have proceeded to extremities before they
hear from Peking, it is not unlikely the work will yet be allowed to go
smoothly on to completion. All the proceedings are watched with keen
interest by foreigners in China, as well as by such of the natives as are
friendly, in however secret and timid a way, to foreign improvements.
The character of telegraphs as essential adjuncts of commerce is more and
more apparent, and the policy of insisting upon official permission for
their safe enjoyment is sure to be strongly urged. Should the Foo-chow line
be torn down or stopped in its progress, the event would create much
feeling, and probably lead to a joint protest on the part of the diplomatic
body.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 25.]
Mr. Avery to Prince
Kung.
Legation of the United States,
Peking, December 26,
1874.
Sir: You are aware of the arrival here of
General de Raasloff, His Danish Majesty’s minister to the court of
China. I am informed that General Raasloff is instructed to procure
protection for the telegraph-cables laid along the coast of China by the
Great Northern Telegraph Company of Denmark, and that he will address
your highness on this subject at an early day. As this is a matter in
which my country, as well as all others with which China has treaty
relations, is also much interested, I beg leave now to express the hope,
which I am certain is shared by my Government, that the request of the
Danish minister may be favorably received, and that such measures may be
taken in accordance therewith, as may seem to His Imperial Majesty’s
government best calculated to effect the end in view.
These cables are used by people of all nations, including the Chinese,
and are very important to the commerce of the empire, as your highness
must know. They cannot be broken or interfered with by ignorant or
malicious persons without great loss, not alone to the company owning
them, but to people engaged in trade, and to the imperial customs
department, which derives from that trade a large revenue. These cables
also connect China with telegraphs reaching to all parts of the world,
and any accident or mischief to them would prevent the speedy
communication of intelligence, which is very necessary in these times to
successful commerce.
I feel certain that your imperial highness is well informed of these
facts already, and I only refer to them because they furnish the reasons
that induce me to hope that
[Page 262]
you will give the Danish minister’s request your favorable attention.
The cables are not offensive to the people; they are in nobody’s way,
and interfere with nobody’s rights; but without some action on the part
of the imperial government for their protection, in conjunction, if you
please, with the foreign representatives, they are constantly liable to
such injury as I am informed has frequently happened.
Hoping to receive an early and favorable reply, I avail myself of this
occasion to renew the assurance of my respect, and am
Your highness’s obedient servant,
To His Imperial Highness Prince Kung, &c.,
&c.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
25—Translation.]
Prince Kung to Mr.
Avery.
Tungchi, 13th year, 12th moon, 4th day.
(January 12, 1875.)
Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith sends
a reply in relation to the telegraph-cable, a thing which is not clearly
mentioned in the treaties.
In the year 1861 the Russian minister, Colonel Balluzech, in a personal
interview at the Yamen, first brought up the proposition to put up a
telegraph-wire between Peking and Tientsin. He was informed at the time
that this government could not insure its remaining untouched, and that
it would be constantly liable to injuries; for which reasons and chances
of failure the matter was accordingly dropped.
In 1862 the British minister, Sir Frederick Bruce, returned to the
subject in a dispatch, stating that he had heard that the Russian
minister wished to have an air-line put up, and desired to know whether
the Chinese government was willing. If they could see their way to erect
an air-line which would connect all the ports along the seaboard on the
east and south, he was sure that they would derive great advantage
therefrom. The foreign office replied to his note that there were so
many difficulties in the way of allowing the erection of a telegraph
that His Majesty’s government could not see their way clear to grant
it.
In 1865 the Russian minister, General Vlangaly, wrote a note, accompanied
by a paper showing the principal parts of a telegraph-instrument, and
stating that if China would set up a telegraph on this plan she could
manage it herself. The foreign office replied to the general that
whatever advantages might accrue from its establishment, China had no
wish to monopolize them; but that if anybody, no matter of what country,
would show how it could be put up so that there would be no risk from
injury or damage, she would very gladly accede to the proposal.
The truth is, in reference to setting up the telegraph, that, from the
first, I (the Prince) have been particularly anxious in respect to the
difficulty of preserving it from injury, and am still unable to see how
it can be prevented.
In 1870 the British minister, Mr. Wade, represented the desirableness of
laying a submarine cable. In his note he stated that during all the
discussions in the previous years a land-line had alone been spoken off;
but that in the plan he advocated the end of the cable alone would need
to be brought ashore and worked in the foreign hongs or a room in them.
The foreign office replied, that the dacoits and pirates along the
coasts were so fugitive in their movements, that it was quite out of the
question to devise means to effectually protect the cable; should any
damage be done to it, therefore, by malicious fellows, it would involve
its owners in great losses, for which the local authorities certainly
could not be held responsible; and, in short, herein consisted the great
difficulty of carrying out the enterprise.
Mr. Wade answered that he had carefully considered this point, and no
difficulty need arise from it; for if China did not wish to permit the
end of the cable to be brought ashore, it could easily be disposed of
and worked where the land and water bordered on each other; and he would
instruct the telegraph company so to manage it. A reply was made to this
that after it went into operation His Majesty’s government would have
still much difficulty in Overseeing it for them; but it must be
understood that no Chinese local official would be held responsible for
any damage done to the cable.
This danger of constant injury to it, and the difficulty of preventing
it, were the points which caused me extreme anxiety; but as Mr. Wade
only proposed to lay the line along the coast, I could not omit to
clearly state beforehand that in no case would His Majesty’s government
become responsible for any injury which might be done to it.
Your excellency’s dispatch, now before me, and those from the other
ministers, all speak of the frequent injuries and cutting done to the
cable, which is just what the dispatches from the foreign office long
ago indicated. These various dispatches now received refer mainly to two
kinds of injuries to which the cable is exposed, viz, one
[Page 263]
from accidental damages done
by native vessels, the other from the thefts of designing rascals.
As the cable lies at the bottom of the sea, and cannot be seen, it is
plainly impossible to forbid vessels going where they list, and
anchoring where they please; injuries to it, suffered by casting anchor
or putting down a pole, must be looked upon as wholly unintentional and
cannot be punished as crimes. Yet they are just as difficult to be
guarded against, and so are the thefts committed by piratical boats
which skulk along the coasts, and dodge in and out of the inlets, so
that it is well-nigh impossible to seize the fellows who steal the cable
and bring them to justice.
Taking into consideration, however, the statements given in the various
dispatches now received in relation to this thing, and in view of the
friendly relations subsisting between all the parties, I have ordered
copies of them to be sent to the governors-general and high ministers of
the maritime provinces, that they may take into consideration what
measures for protecting the cable can be devised, and give orders to the
local authorities under them to constantly give it such an oversight as
is, in their judgment, possible.
To His Excellency Benjamin P.
Avery,
United States
Minister.
