Minister Rockhill to the Secretary of State.

No. 381.]

Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith copy of the draft agreement which I submitted to the Wai-wu-Pu on the 21st instant for the settlement of the Lienchou massacre.

I have not yet been advised by the foreign office when it will discuss the matter with me, but I shall urge prompt consideration.

I have, etc.,

W. W. Rockhill.
[Page 322]
[Inclosure.]

An agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Imperial Chinese Government relative to the massacre of American citizens at Lienchou, in the Province of Kuangtung, on October 28, 1905.

On the 28th of October, 1905, a mob, consisting of several hundred persons, attacked the mission of the American Presbyterian Church at Lienchou, in the Province of Kuangtung, China, and killed, under circumstances of great cruelty, five persons, American citizens, and destroyed the residences of the missionaries, together with their hospitals and chapels, besides much personal property.

The Chinese Government has already expressed its horror of this great crime in an imperial edict, dated November 2, 1905, as follows:

imperial edict.

“Tsen Ch’un-hsuan telegraphs that an American hospital and chapels at Lienchou, in Kuangtung Province, owing to trouble growing out of the celebration of a festival by villagers, have been burned, and that five missionaries, men and women, have been killed; that the remainder have been rescued, and that he has appointed deputies to take a sufficient number of troops and proceed to the said place to give protection, as well as to investigate the case, arrest the murderers, and take such other action as may be necessary.

“The people of the province in question are turbulent, and we have already issued edicts directing the local officials to be careful to take precautionary measures as the circumstances might require, and to give thorough protection. But the district magistrate has given no heed and has allowed such a serious matter as this to arise. His fault is one which is inexcusable. Let the names of the responsible officials be obtained, and let them first of all be removed from office. Let other officials who have been careless about taking precautions be severely punished according to their guilt.

“Let Tsen Ch’un-hsüan issue further instructions to the deputies sent to investigate the matter promptly and arrest all the important leaders and punish them according to law.

“Let not the least indulgence be shown.

“That five innocent missionaries have been killed is most pitiable. Let steps be taken at once to make suitable indemnity for the lives destroyed. As for other missions and missionaries, let uniform and careful protection be given them in all places. Let there be no further remissness.

“Respect this.”

In accordance with the foregoing edict, the Chinese Government has already, of its own volition, dismissed from office the officials of Lienchou responsible for the failure to give due protection to the mission, namely, the district magistrate, Shen-Lin-shu, and the commandant of the local military forces, Major Lei Chen-ku, and said officials, as provided for in the imperial edict of December 24, 1901, are never to be employed again by the Chinese Government.

The American consul-general at Canton, Julius G. Lay, and the viceroys of the Liang Kuang, H. E. Tsen Ch’un-hsüan, for and in behalf of their respective Governments, after having investigated the circumstances of the affair, have by an exchange of notes agreed upon nine points, as follows:

  • “1. That the sum of 46,129.65 taels be paid to Julius G. Lay, American consul-general at Canton, to be handed to the Rev. Henry V. Noyes, treasurer and representative of the American Presbyterian mission, as compensation for the loss of property at Lienchou, the said sum of 46,129.65 taels to be paid to the said Julius G. Lay, American consul-general, on or before the 10th day of July, 1906.
  • “2. That the rewards for the apprehension of those guilty of the murder of the missionaries and burning of the mission buildings be increased and continue to be offered until such persons are apprehended.
  • “3. That the strongest assurances be given the American Government that in future adequate, efficient protection be guaranteed to American missionaries in and near Lienchou.
  • “4. That the small Chinese temple, used for Ta Tsui celebrations and adjacent to the former men’s mission hospital, be at once transformed into a schoolhouse.
  • “5. That near this schoolhouse, in a conspicuous position, there be erected, by the Chinese authorities a stone tablet, on which shall be engraved the edict of His Majesty the Emperor of China, issued on the 2d of November, 1905.
  • “6. That the said edict be also conspicuously posted in the city and district of Lienchou when the missionaries return there.
  • “7. That in addition to the tablet described, a memorial tablet be erected also by the Chinese authorities to the memory of those missionaries who lost their lives in the massacre at Lienchou, and that such tablet shall bear an inscription stating that it is erected by the Chinese authorities.
  • “8. That this tablet be erected near the tree in front of the cave temple at the spot to which the missionaries were dragged from the cave and where they were tortured and killed before their bodies were thrown into the river.
  • “9. That the above-mentioned tablets be erected before the 10th of October next, and that, should they be destroyed or defaced in any way, the Chinese authorities will replace or repair them.”

The Chinese Government, in accordance with the arrangement just cited, has already punished sundry persons found guilty of participation in the said outrage, and engages to continue its efforts to apprehend and punish the remainder of the guilty parties.

Furthermore, on the 13th of July, 1906, the sum of 46,129.65 taels, stipulated above, was paid to the aforesaid Julius G. Lay, American consul-general at Canton, to be by him handed to the mission in compensation for the property destroyed.

That the Government of the United States of America and the Imperial Chinese Government reaffirm their agreement in the arrangement made by the American consul-general, Julius G. Lay, and the viceroy, Tsen Ch’un-hsüan, embodied in the nine points just quoted, and the Chinese Government hereby formally binds itself to carry out the unfulfilled engagements stipulated therein, and furthermore agreed that, in case any person or persons shall injure either of the tablets above mentioned, such person or persons shall be promptly arrested and severely punished, and the injured tablet shall be repaired or replaced by the Chinese authorities without delay.

It is also agreed by the Chinese Government that the terms of the settlement, set forth in this agreement, shall be published in a proclamation, the text of which shall be prepared by the Wai-wu Pu, and submitted to the American minister for his approval, and that the said proclamation shall be conspicuously posted throughout the city and district of Lienchou.

The Chinese Government hereby agrees, moreover, that in order to fully execute the commands of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China, as expressed in the edict of November 2, 1905, cited above, to wit, that an indemnity shall be paid for the lives of the murdered missionaries, it will upon the day of the signing of this agreement pay to Hon W. W. Hockhill, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States, the sum of K’u-p’ing taels 50,000, to be distributed among the families of the murdered missionaries.

And the Government of the United States, in consideration of the performance by the Chinese Government of the acts already recited and the engagements entered into by the said Chinese Government, as set forth herein, hereby agrees that the payment of the said K’u-p’ing taels 50,000 indemnity for the lives of the murdered missionaries shall, with the acts already performed by the Chinese Government in relation to this case and the entire fulfillment of the engagements herein made, constitute a final and complete settlement of this case.

This agreement is written in the English and Chinese languages, five copies of each being prepared, of which one of each text shall be deposited at the Chinese foreign office in Peking, the American legation in Peking, the Department of State at Washington, the American consulate-general at Canton, and the yamen of the viceroy of the Liang Kuang. In case any disagreement should hereafter arise as to the meaning of any clause herein, the English text shall be considered authoritative.