The desire of the Diplomatic Body to see necessary reforms effected in the system of protection of the Chinese railways coincides with the policy of the Chinese Government, who, in the earnest hope of effectively safeguarding travel on all the main lines, have made a careful study of the question and adopted measures designed to attain the object in view. The territory covered by the Peking-Hankow, Lunghai, Peking-Mukden, and Tientsin-Pukou railways is now divided into four principal districts, in each of which troops are stationed at strategic points along the railway for the purpose of affording protection. In addition, the Ministry of Communications thas undertaken to reorganize the special railway police which has heretofore been established for each Government railway to maintain order on the trains as well as at the stations; and in order to avail itself of the experience of other countries in this field of railway management it has decided to engage such foreign expert assistance as, in its opinion, may be necessary or desirable. For this purpose it has created a special department which, directed and assisted by competent and experienced officers, will have charge of the training of the men, the organization of new units for service, the distribution and inspection of all the force under its control.
"In conveying the above information to Your Excellency, I hardly need state that the Chinese Government look upon the whole matter of railway policing and protection as an urgent problem of China's internal administration, and they are fully conscious of their responsibility for a practical solution. The Chinese Government, however, appreciate the interest which the Diplomatic Body takes in this problem and its readiness to collaborate; and while they do not feel free, in loyalty to their duty, to commit themselves to any scheme which the Diplomatic Body may desire to present, I wish to assure Your Excellency that in undertaking on their own initiative to improve the present system of protection of the railways, the Chinese Government will spare no effort to make it fruitful of the best results.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.