Foreign Office, 20th July, 1900. (Telegraphic.)
Russian Charge d'Afi es has made following communication In view of enquiries addressed to Imperial Government concerning the ulterior military measures which the Powers may have to undertake in China, the latter considers it urgent to come immediately to a positive understanding on the subject.
question of the most important nature at once presents itself, that of the unity of action of all the international detachnents on Chinese territory; or, otherwise expressed, the question of the concentration in one single hand of the general command and direction of all these de tachments.
The Imperial Government gather that the opinion of the foreign Cabinets differs on this point; some think that the international forces may be put under the orders of the Senior Commander, others that the number of troops of 2 certain nationality should affect the selection of the Either method, being based on a casual civeumstance, subject to frequent changes, is open to serious practical inconvenience.
In these circumstances, it would seem useful to establish by common agreement more stable principles for the unity of action so necessary for success against the insurrectionary movement in China.
Considering that the efforts of the Powers tend to the same object, equally serious for all, the Imperial Government think that special importance should not he attributed to the activity of this or that detachment. Whether the troops of any nationality be concentrated in the rearguard or be at the head of a column, when ther it defends positions already conquered, undertakes reconnaissances, or guards lines of communication; all this, independently even of the numerical strength of the detachment, should have the same value in the view of the Powers as contributing to the accomplishment of the work undertaken in common.
I send some observations on this communication in a separate telegram.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.