[Inclosure.-Translation.] The Emperor of China to the President of the United States. GREETING: Your Excellency has appointed Hon. W. W. Rockhill, your minister at our court, as special envoy recently to pay respects to the remains of Their Imperial Majesties the late Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and to attend the imperial funeral of the latter. In thus designating a special envoy to our court to convey to us your sympathies on the occasion of our national bereavements Your Excellency has given a fresh manifestation of the friendly ties between the two nations. We appreciate deeply Your Excellency's action and are grateful for it. From now on there will be a still closer friendship and relationship between the two countries. We send Your Excellency this imperial message to express our thanks and to wish Your Excellency's happiness may be prolonged and peace may be enjoyed by the two nations. PEKING, 13th day, third moon, first year of Hsuant'ung (May 2, 1909). File No. 14911/103-104. No. 1149.] Minister Rockhill to the Secretary of State. [Extract.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Peking, May 6, 1909. SIR: I have the honor to report that the special ambassadors [to attend the imperial funeral ceremonies] were received in audience and presented their letters of credence on April 26. Prince Fushimi, the special representative of Japan, was received first. I followed as dean, and the other ambassadors in the order agreed upon. The ambassadors were received separately; the audience in each case was short, but dignified and impressive. The ambassadors, in presenting their letters of credence, expressed briefly the condolence and sympathy of the heads of the state and of the nation they represented. This was acknowledged by the Prince Regent, who requested that his thanks be conveyed to the various chiefs of state. The letters, which had been presented to him, were placed on a table in front of the imperial throne, which was not occupied by the infant Emperor. The Prince Regent occupied a position in front at the right of the throne, in the same chair which was formerly occupied by the late Emperor when audiences were granted by him and the late Empress Dowager, who sat on the throne proper. The next official ceremony took place on April 29. The ambassadors, accompanied by their staffs, assembled at a pavilion inside the Tung-hua-mên of the palace and separately advanced to the hall in which the remains of the late Empress Dowager were lying in state. This ceremony was also simple and dignified. Each ambassador, followed by his suite, entered the hall, bowed to the imperial coffin, then bowed to the Prince Regent, who was standing beside it, and retired. Half an hour later the same ceremony was observed before the remains of the late Emperor, lying in state in another hall situted inside the east gate of the Coal Hill. The funeral of the late Emperor took place on Saturday, May 1. The ambassadors and their suites assembled outside the eastern gate of the Coal Hill at a temporary pavilion erected for that purpose. The funeral procession had already been formed. At 10.30 the procession started, the staffs of the ambassadors leading, accompanied by officials of the Wai-wu Pu. They were followed by the grand council, the Imperial Princes, after whom were the ambassadors in the order set out in the program. After the foreign representatives walked the Japanese Prince Fushimi and some officers of his staff. Next came the Prince Regent, surrounded by palace officials. Immediately behind him was carried the catafalque, draped in embroidered yellow silk, and on which the imperial remains were borne. The ambassadors walked in the procession for about a quarter of a mile to a temporary pavilion which had been erected about 100 yards south. of the Hou-mên, where they arranged themselves along the left side of the street. The Prince Regent advanced, bowed to each ambassador, thanked him for his presence, and the cortège proceeded on its way to the Hsi Ling, four days' journey from Peking. All foreigners in Peking were afforded an opportunity to witness the procession, and the day passed off without unpleasant incident of any kind. On Sunday, May 2, Prince Ch'ing entertained Prince Fushimi at tiffin at his residence, and the other officials of the Wai-wu Pu gave a luncheon to the ambassadors and their suites at the new botanical gardens. On Monday, May 3, the Price Regent entertained Prince Fushimi, of Japan, and the special ambassadors and chiefs of missions here at a formal luncheon in the banqueting hall in the winter gardens of the palace. This entertainment is noteworthy as the first ever given by a sovereign of China in the imperial palace. The Regent was extremely cordial, shaking hands with various representatives and showing an evident desire to be pleasant. I had the honor of sitting beside the Regent at table, and he talked pleasantly both to me and Prince Fushimi, who sat facing him. After luncheon the Regent presented to each of the envoys his photograph. The department will recall that under the provisions of Annex 19 of the final protocol of September 7, 1901 (par. 6), it was agreed that if the Emperor should decide upon inviting the representatives of the powers to banquet, it should be given them in the imperial palace and His Majesty should be present in person, On the following day a luncheon was offered to all the special ambassadors and their staffs at the Wai-wu Pu Building. This was the last official entertainment, and most of the special envoys are leaving Peking to-morrow or next day. Russia was represented by Gen. Palytzyne, of the council of the empire and the general staff. He was accompanied by five or six officials and made the Russian Legation his headquarters. France, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and Mexico were represented by their diplomatic representatives at Tokyo. The other powers accredited their ministers here as special ambassadors for the funeral ceremonies. Funeral offerings of silver wreaths were presented by Russia, Japan, France, and England. I inclose сору of a note which I have received from the Prince of Ch'ing, advising me of the telegram of thanks sent the American Government by the Regent for having accredited me ambassador extraordinary for the occasion. I have, etc., W. W. ROCKHILL. 1 Not printed. File No. 14911/97-98. The Acting Secretary of State to the Chinese Minister. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 7, 1909. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 3d instant, transmitting a translation of a message from His Majesty the Emperor of China to the President, in which the Emperor expresses appreciation of the designation of a special envoy to represent the Government and people of the United States at the ceremonies attending the funeral of their late Majesties the Empress Dowager and Emperor of China. In compliance with your request the message has been forwarded to the President. Accept, etc., HUNTINGTON WILSON. Bogota, April 13, 1909. SIR: I have the honor to report that on March 5, 1909, the National Assembly approved and the President ratified a treaty with Great Britain providing for the settlement by arbitration of differences of a legal nature or those relating to the interpretation of treaties between Colombia and Great Britain. Copies of the Spanish and English texts are inclosed. I have, etc., T. C. DAWSON. [Inclosure.] The National Constitutent and Legislative Assembly decrees: (Only article.) The arbitration treaty celebrated in this capital on December 31, 1908, between Dr. Francisco José Urrutia, minister for foreign affairs of the Republic of Colombia, on the one part, and Francis W. Stronge, minister resident of His Britannic Majesty, on the other part, is hereby approved. Done in Bogota, March 5, 1909. Let the above be published and executed. Minister for foreign affairs, Dr. FRANCISCO JOSÉ URRUTIA. President, JORGE HOLGUÍN. R. REYES. Agreement between the Republic of Colombia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain, providing for the settlement by arbitration of certain questions which may arise between the two Governments. The Government of His Britannic Majesty and the Government of the Colombian Republic, signatories of the convention for the pacific settlement of international disputes, concluded at The Hague on the 29th of July, 1899; Taking into consideration that by Article XIX of that convention the high contracting parties have reserved to themselves the right of concluding agreements, with a view to referring to arbitration all questions which they shall consider possible to submit to such treatment; Have authorized the undersigned to conclude the following arrangement: ARTICLE I. Differences which may arise of a legal nature or relating to the interpretation of treaties existing between the two contracting parties, and which it may not have been possible to settle by diplomacy, shall be referred to the Permanent Court of Arbitration established at The Hague by the convention 1 of the 29th of July, 1899, provided, nevertheless, that they do not affect the vital interests, the independence, or the honor of the two contracting States, and do not concern the interests of third parties. ARTICLE II. In each individual case the high contracting parties, before appealing to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, shall conclude a special agreement defining clearly the matter in dispute, the scope of the powers of the arbitrators, and the periods to be fixed for the formation of the arbitral tribunal and the several stages of the procedure. ARTICLE III. The present agreement is concluded for a period of five years dating from the day of signature. Done in Bogotá, in duplicate, on the thirtieth day of December, 1908. SIR: As inclosure No. 2 with this legation's No. 205, of December 5, 1908, there was sent to the department a translation of the recent immigration law of Colombia. The department will observe that by articles 2 and 14 the Colombian consuls abroad are constituted immigration agents and their duties as such defined; That by articles 5 and 6 immigrants will not be allowed to come to Colombia unless they sign a declaration expressly subjecting themselves to Colombian laws and Colombian courts, and renouncing the right to protection through the diplomatic channel; That by articles 9 and 10 immigrants and their sons shall be subject to Colombian military service in case of international war; and That by article 11 immigrants who may participate in any strike shall be deported as pernicious foreigners. I can find nothing in our treaty or consular convention with Colombia which expressly or impliedly authorizes Colombian consuls to exercise jurisdiction as immigration agents within the territory of 1 Not printed. |