To His Excellency W. Raasloff to the Minister from England, &c, May 26, 1875

General Raasloff to the Minister from England, &c.

To the ministers from England, from Russia, from the United States, and from Germany, and to the chargé d’affaires from France, signatories of the protocols of 20th December, 1874, and of 27th January, 1875, relating to the protection of submarine cables in Chinese waters.

Gentlemen and Dear Colleagues: You are aware that the notes which, in conformity with the protocols of December 20, 1874, and of January 27 last, we have addressed to the Tsung li Yamen, as well as the applications which the consular officers of our respective nationalities have addressed to the Chinese authorities, have produced the effect we could expect from them: the Tsungli Yamen having given the necessary orders to the provincial authorities, and the local authorities having in consequence of those orders issued proclamations which are more or less satisfactorily worded, and through which those authorities explain to the people of their respective districts, especially to fishermen and to sailors, the special character and great importance of submarine cables, and threatening with severe punishment all those who hereafter, by injuring the cables, cause an interruption of telegraphic communication. But you are doubtless also aware that, notwithstanding that undoubted progress which is due to our efforts, we have not yet reached the end we have set before us. Reports which I have received mention even the much-to-be-regretted fact that one of the last in term options of telegraphic communication between Hong-kong and Shanghai was caused, not by ignorant or evil-disposed Chinese, but by the crew of a European steamer, I am convinced that you would not, under these circumstances, discontinue an action which has been so successfully started; the more so, as there is every reason to hope that, by continuing our efforts, in conformity with the programme which we adopted on the 27th of January last, and which we embodied in the protocol of the same date, we shall obtain more and more satisfactory results. I therefore consider it incumbent upon me to propose that you will be pleased to communicate to me the reports received from your consular officers in consequence of the instructions you have given them, in conformity with the protocol of January 27 last, namely, the last portion of that protocol, which reads as follows: “In view of these considerations, the undersigned agree—

• “I. * * * * * * *
• “II. That conformably to the promise made to the Tsung li Yamen, each of the signatories will bring to the knowledge of the consuls of his nation, in the way that seems best to him, the contents of the correspondence above mentioned between them and the Tsung li Yamen, and give to those officers instructions to put themselves into communication with the Chinese authorities, in order to inform themselves of the measures which may be adopted by the latter, and, in case of need, aid them with advice; to inform their legations of what the Chinese authorities have done; and to indicate the measures which may, in their opinion, be useful and convenient for adoption to the end in view by the consular and other foreign authorities.”

With the view of enabling me to propose to you, on the strength of those reports, the further measures which we had in view, and by means of which we may expect gradually to approach our end—the efficient protection of the telegraphic communication between China and the rest of the world.

I shall with pleasure take charge of this little work, which appears to me naturally to revert to this legation, but which I am equally disposed to divide with others, if you should prefer.

Be pleased to receive, gentlemen, and dear colleagues, the assurance of the sentiments of high consideration with which I have the honor to be,

Your good colleague,