Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-05-20
AMERICANS IN CHINA
Washington Claims Right to
Patrol Inland Waters,
OUTCOME OF PROTEST AGAINST EVANS
Admiral Ordered ViIIaIObos to Yang
tse Valley to Protect Our People
Residing There and Claimed
Right to Send Gunboat.


WASHINGTON, May 20 China has
been informed that the Washington
government claims the right to dis
patch warships not only to those Chi
nese ports declared by treaty to be
open to the world, but also upon the in
land waters of China wherever Amer
/ leans may be and where by treaty with
China they are authorized to engage in
business or reside for the purpose Of
spreading the gospel"
That the official details on this sub
ject may be known the state depart
ment has decided to publish the corre-
! spondence between Mr.. Conger, the
! American minister at Picking, and Rear
Admiral Robley d. Evans, late com
mander in chief Of the Asiatic station,
which followed a protest of the Chi
/ nese government against the visit OF
the gunboat Villalobos last summer in
the Yangtse valley, whittier she was
ordered by the commander in chief of
the Asiatic feet to gather such infor-
nation about the Americans residing
there as would be OF assistance in
rendering them prompt assistance in
case of an expected native outbreak
against foreigners.
The taotai of Kiukiang protested to
the American consul at Hankow
against the visit of the Villalobos to
Nanchang on the ground that bad
men" inhabited that section. and he
declared that the viceroy had inform
ed all the foreign consuls at Shanghai
- 49, ,fs-&A
Poyang lake except on most important
| business. Minister Conger called on
Admiral Evans for the facts. A long
correspondence ensued, Admiral Evans
stoutly maintaining that American
warships had the right to go wherever
Americans We're allowed to- reside and
engage in business. Finally the cor
respondence reached the state depart
ment, and after a careful reading of
the arguments on both sides Secretary
Hay has approved the stand taken by
Admiral Evans.
After receiving the rear admirafs
i first communication stating that he
had approved the action of the com
mander of the Yillalobos iii visiting
the Americans in the Yangtse valley
Admiral Evans:
| Il shall be pleased to have you point
out to me the provisions of the treaty
which give our gunboats the right to
go wherever they please in the, interior
of the empire except on rivers leading
to open ports.''
I'm reply wrote Admiral Evans, Il
have to inform you that whereas there
may be no express stipulation in our
| various treaties with China covering
entirely the matter to which you refer
i and | may be therefore unable to point
out any specific paragraph granting
this general authority, yet consider
that the clause embodied in our treaty
grants to us the same or equal rights
as may be granted to any other coun-
try, in short the most favored nation
clause covers my action in authorizing
our 5gunboats to cruise in the same
manner and through the same waters
as are allowed by China to the armed
/ vessels of other nations, and in this
connection | have TO state that the
Poyang lake and neighboring waters
have been for some time past visited
by the gunboats of various other ma
tionalities, very probably, I presume,
for the same purposes for which our
vessels have visited those waters and
apparently with the sanction of the
Chinese authorities If China grants
or does not object to the visits of these
vessels we have the same rights and
can Justly claim the same privileges"