Private Diary of Robert Dollar on His Recent
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
tlmtt Starg fttt "HiattB ta Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/privatediaryofroOOunse Private Diary of Robert Dollar on his Recent Visits to China. Copyrighted 1912 by the ROBERT DOLLAR COMPANY Second Edition, 1916 Printed by W. S. VAN COTT & CO. San Francisco, Cal. ROBERT DOLLAR : PREFACE In presenting this small volume to my friends, it is done with two objects in view First—Inasmuch as I have had opportunities such as many of you have never had, to visit other lands and get in close touch with their peoples both in a business and social way, I felt it was a duty I owed to my associates to give them the information I have gathered in my travels; and while I have made a pleasure of the investigation as well as a pleasure in the business accomplished, I send this book to you with the hope that you will at least derive a part of the pleasure in reading it that I did in writing it from day to day. The second reason for its publication is the hope that it may in a small way help to increase and strengthen the friendly relations and feelings that now exist between the United States and its possessions, the Philippine Islands, China, and Japan; and as a consequence, to increase trade and commerce; and, if possible, to increase the interest in shipping so that our laws may be changed to permit us to own and sail our own ships under our own flag to the end, that, by her Merchant Marine and Foreign Commerce, our country may become one of the Greatest Commercial Nations. FOREWORD HE first edition of 800 copies has been exhausted, which has demonstrated that I had more friends than I was aware of as all were given away, and still there is a call for more. I thought a continuation of the events subsequent to the close of the first edition would be of added interest. Since the death of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, the history of China was rapidly changing. By an agreement between Yuan Shai Kai and Sun Yat Sen, the former became President. He immediately called the provincial assemblies together in each province and the Fed- eral Parliament in Peking in each meeting place, especially in Peking; they fought like cats and dogs, and could agree on nothing; whereupon Yuan sent them all home, and he became dictator and practically ran the Government him- self. This caused a great deal of unrest, especially in the South. Bandits appeared in various parts of the country, taking advantage of the troubled state of the country. The most notable was White Wolf, who terrorized several northern provinces; he gathered a small-sized army, strong enough to defy all law and order; they murdered, stole, looted, and destroyed wherever they went, until, finally, a sufficient force of Government troops overpowered him, and peace and quietness was restored. The outrages on the West River were on about as large a scale ; there were pirates operating on the water as White Wolf was operating on land. They took possession of several steamers, large and small, murdering crews and passengers, and setting the steamers on fire after they had removed all the valuables. A lady wanting to see for herself how it was done went out on a small steamer from Canton; the second day out she got up to dress, when a ruffian forced her door, took all her valuables, and threw all her clothing overboard. Woman-like, she screamed, but no one answered. Dressed in a blanket, squaw fashion, she came on deck to find she was the captain, crew and passenger all combined, as all hands had run ashore when : FOREWORD the pirates showed up; imagine her phght, and all of her clothes floating down the West River. The next event of importance was a visit that Sun Yat Sen paid to Japan. He had a fine fat place under Yuan, as manager for the building of railroads, and it looked as if he was going to do a great and good work for China. But this visit to Japan changed it all. It would appear he had arranged to get arms and ammunition, and returned to China to start up another revolt, but Yuan had been fully informed of all that was going on in Japan and had plenty of troops stationed near Kiukiang, Shanghai and Nanking, where he had been informed the trouble would start. The undrilled mob was met at all those places by well drilled and fully equipped troops, so the revolution was quelled almost as soon as it started. Sun Yat Sen fleeing at once on a German steamer to Formosa; from thence he went back to Tokyo. During his management of the railway enterprise, a number of lines were projected, but all came to naught when he turned traitor. It all came about by the great antagonism of the Japanese to Yuan, and in turn by his hatred of them. The European War broke out, and Japan, assisted by the British, besieged Tsingtau, which was ultimately captured and retained by Japan, thereby giving her the entire Province of Shantung. This she will keep unless dislodged by superior powers which at this writing is not at all probable, thus thrusting another thorn into China's side. With Manchuria and Mongolia gone, now Shantung, China is rapidly being dismembered. It was conceded that Japan had a right to take Tsingtau, but not the capitol Tsinaufu and the whole province. However, the deed is done and it will have to stand; but, to show more fully the predicament that China is in, in addition to all this, the following demands were made by Japan on China, which for a time looked as if it would bring on war between the two nations The taking over, in due time, of all the rights and privileges possessed by Germany in the Province of Shan- tung. China must agree to the building of a railway by Japan from Chofoo or Lungkou to join the Shantung Railway. FOREWORD She must also agree that no territory within the Province of Shantung or islands off the coast shall be leased to any third Power. Certain places in Shantung are to be opened as treaty ports, such places to be jointly decided upon by Japan and China. Control and administration of the Kirin-Changchum Rail- way to be taken over by the Japanese Government for 99 years. The lease of Port Arthur and the term of lease of the South Manchurian and Antung-Mukden Railways to be ex- tended to a period of 99 years. Japanese subjects to have the right tO' lease or own land in South Manchuria and Eastern Mongolia for erecting buildings for the purpose of trade and manufacture or for farming. The Chinese Government to obtain Japan's assent before granting the subject of a third Power the right to build a railway in these regions or to make a loan with a third Power for the purpose of building a railway in these regions. Japan's assent must also be obtained if a loan is contracted for which the security is the local taxes of Eastern Mongolia and South Manchuria. In these regions Japanese subjects shall be free to reside and travel and to engage in business and manufacture of any kind whatever. The Chinese Government must consult Japan first if China decides to employ advisers or instructors for political, financial and military purposes. Japanese subjects shall be granted the right to work mines in these regions, the locality of the mining areas to be jointly decided upon by the two Governments. That the Han Yeh Ping Company should be made a joint concern of Japan and China, and that China, without previous consent of Japan, should not dispose of her interest in the company. All other mines connected with the Han Yeh Ping Com- pany and MINES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF SUCH MINES cannot be worked by persons outside the company without the company's permission, and the consent of the FOREWORD company must be first obtained for any mining operation that directly or indirectly affects the interests of the company. The Chinese Government agrees that no island, port or harbor along the coast shall be ceded to any third Power. China shall purchase over fifty per cent, of the munitions of mar she requires from Japan, and Japan shall establish a jointly worked arsenal in China for which Japanese ma- terial must be purchased and Japanese technical experts employed. The police in certain places in China shall be jointly administered by Japanese and Chinese, or China shall employ in such places NUMEROUS JAPANESE for the purpose of organizing and improving the Chinese police service. Japanese subjects shall be employed as advisers in political, financial and military affairs. Japanese subjects shall have the right to propogate Buddhism in China. Japanese subjects shall have the right of ownership of land in the interior of China for the building of Japanese hospitals, churches and schools. In the Province of Fukien, Japan shall have the right to build railways, work mines, construct harbor works, and in case foreign capital is required, Japan shall be first consulted. Japan shall have the right to build a railway connecting Wuchang with Kiukiang and Nanchang, and a line between Nanchang and Chaochoufu and between Wuchang and Hang- chow. Finally China gave in on some and Japan waived others, and happily trouble was averted. The next important event was Yuan's desire to become Emperor instead of President.