393.1123R27/13

The Minister in China (Crane) to the Secretary of State

No. 420

Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s telegraphic instruction of October 11th, 5 P.M., No. 275,56 and to the Legation’s reply of October 30th, 11 P.M., No. 353,56 regarding the murder of the missionary, William A. Reimert.

There are enclosed copies of pertinent correspondence.56

This case has formed the subject of unremitting representations on the part of the Legation, both oral and written. As the Department will note the Legation has never wavered from its original position that General Chang Ching-yao, then Military Governor of Hunan, on account of his failure to provide the guard asked for in ample time by the missionaries at Yochow thereby became personally responsible for Mr. Reimert’s death. The Legation was therefore reassured when on June 29th, 1920, a Presidential Mandate was issued summarily stripping Chang Ching-yao of all his offices and rank and directing him to come to Peking for investigation, since [Page 811] the Legation would thus be in a position to personally insist upon due attention to this particular crime. It should be noted that this action in the case of the Military Governor was, from the Chinese standpoint, of unusual severity and for the moment the Legation felt assured that it would be able to secure justice in the matter of the murder. Unfortunately, however, the chaotic conditions which have obtained throughout China during the last year and have left the Peking Government in so weak a state, have enabled the authorities at Hankow to disregard the solemn and emphatic orders of the Government. Thus in spite of the Legation’s reiterated and urgent representations and notwithstanding the expressed desire of the Peking Government further to investigate the misdeeds of Chang Ching-yao at Peking the latter has been able in some way to remain unmolested in a foreign concession in Hankow and on October 2nd, with the assistance of a Japanese firm, to leave that port and to take refuge in Japan. The fact of his escape was notified to the Legation by President Hsu Shih-chang through a personal secretary with an expression of his regret.

The Chinese Government has, however, so far recognized the justice of the Legation’s representations that it compelled Chang Ching-yao himself to pay to the Mission and to the family of Reimert a solatium of $45,000. silver, of which $44,371.71 went to Mrs. Reimert and $628.29 to the Mission. Copies of receipts for these sums are enclosed herewith.57

The Legation is naturally still deeply dissatisfied with the fact that Chang’s responsibility for the death of this American citizen was not formally and specifically investigated by the Government and as the Foreign Office has been unable, although expressing its desire to secure such a trial, to cause it to be held I considered it advisable to take the matter up in an informal way with the Premier himself. Accordingly I yesterday instructed the Acting Chinese Secretary, who is on terms of personal acquaintance with General Chin Yun-p’eng to call upon him and lay before him the views of the Legation in regard to Chang’s personal responsibility. The views of the Premier are set forth in a memorandum of the interview, enclosed herewith,57 and coincide with those expressed a day or so ago by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. These views are, briefly, that Chang’s responsibility in the matter is limited to a charge of negligence. This negligence was merely a detail in a whole body of misdeeds while in office for which the Government has punished him in the severe manner already described. On this account the Chinese Government finds it illogical and unnecessary further to investigate him for one particular act of remissness in duty, although [Page 812] it compelled Chang personally to pay the solatium, which constituted on his part an admission of personal responsibility for the murder and so far as possible an atonement therefor. Indeed, it is evident that the Government is not deeply incensed at Chang Chingyao’s escape and the Premier failed to concede Mr. Peck’s56 contention that a serious affront had been given the national dignity both of China and of the United States.

Under these circumstances and in the face of the extreme weakness of Peking the Legation finds itself confronted with a difficult problem, i.e. that of exacting from the Chinese Government such further measures as will constitute a recognition of the grave wrong perpetrated by one of its officials against a friendly nation and shall serve as a deterrent in the future. It will be noted that the Premier considered that the action taken by the Chinese Government in this matter has satisfied every claim of friendship and justice, while all that is lacking is a presentation of the facts in their true light in a formal communication from the Chinese Foreign Office to the Legation, which communication he has instructed shall be sent.

Further events in these negotiations will be reported promptly to the Department as they transpire. The Legation has been so confident at every juncture of an immediate satisfactory conclusion to this case that it has postponed until the present time submitting a complete copy of all the correspondence relating thereto, but the impasse resulting from Chang’s escape to Japan renders this full report urgently necessary.

I have [etc.]

Charles R. Crane
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  6. Willys R. Peck, vice consul, detailed to Peking.