393.1123 Lincheng/138: Telegram

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

[Paraphrase]

207. The international commission of which General Connor is president returned to Peking yesterday and presented its report today. The most important points follow:

1.
There are probably not more than about 4,000 Chinese troops distributed along a line of 130 kilometers.
2.
Within the cordon there are probably not more than 1,200 to 1,600 armed bandits. These are variously armed with pistols and rifles.
3.
It is the opinion of the Commission that if the bandits in any province are to be effectively suppressed it is absolutely essential that the soldiers employed should be reliable troops immediately controlled by the Central Government and not provincial troops nor troops coming from the same province in which the operations take place.
4.
The measures which have been taken to defend the Tientsin-Pukow Railway are entirely inadequate for its defense against outrages similar to that which took place at Lincheng.

Schurman