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Muller’s Rebuttal
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The statement of “Nanking’s Opinion on Jones’s case” published by the
Central News Agency on August 18th cannot be pass with silence by the
surviving member of the party which travelled from Kalgan to Te-wang-fu,
Pei-tze-miao, Western Uchumuchin, Eastern Sunnit, Pangkiang and Dolonnor
between July 11th and July 27th and which was attacked by bandits on the way
back to Kalgan on the 28th of July.
At
the time the party left Kalgan, there were no reports at all of rampant
banditry in any parts of Inner. Mongolia. A large party of foreigners was
staying at Mr. Larsen’s place and making long excursions into the country
without being molested in any way. Other large parties of foreigners and
Chinese coming from Kalgan and Suiyuan converged at the residence of the
Westerner Sunnit prince in order to participate at the Obo—Festival of that
tribe, which took place on July 14th.
There
was nothing adventurous about a trip in Inner Mongolia at that time and,
accordingly, there was no special warning and the pledge relieving the
Chinese authorities of all responsibilities was signed as a matter of
routine as it has been done before by Dr. Mt~e1ler more than once and as it
has to be done, for years now, by everybody who wants to pass out of the
Great Wall.
Mr.
Jones and Dr. Mueller were not told that they could only go as far as
Erhhsien (sic) and Pailingmiao-places which they never touched and never
intended to touch—, but they got a permission — valid for on. month after
the 11th of July — to travel to Inner Mongolia, Erhlien (not Erhhsien) and
Pailinginiso. The wording of this permission which was written on their
passports is certainly peculiar as Erhlien (mostly called Erhliang) and
Paling-miao are considered to be in Inner Mongolia, but it is understandable
as the borders of Inner Mongolia have not yet been fixed. Erhlien lies North
of Pankiang on the Urga Road, Pailingmiao lies North of Suiyuan. The places
visited by the party lie to the East ‘of Pangkiang and ‘are certainly
covered by the written permission to visit “Inner Mongolia, Erhlien and
Pailingmiao.” There was no warning given by the Chinese authorities to
proceed to Dolonnor and, consequently, the travellers showed no “utter
disregard” to such warning.
Dr.
Mueller is an experienced traveller who knows Inner Mongolia since 1913 and
who has gone over thousands of miles there. He knew the risks and hardships
of travelling in those parts and, when approached by Mr. Gareth Jones for
advice as to visit to Inner Mongolia, he recommended a more comfortable,
trip based on the Suiyuan Railway although he was himself making
preparations for an extended journey into Eastern Chahar but advice from a
third party prevailed, and Dr. Mueller consented, very reluctantly, to
accept the company of Mr. Gareth Jones, telling him quite openly that it was
the first time he was taking another foreigner on such a trip and that by
doing so he was acting against his principles.
Dr.
Mueller’s intention on this trip was to visit Eastern Chahar up to the
Manchukuo and Outer Mongolian boundary and to study the activities of Japan
in those parts. This tallied with Mr. Jones’ plans who was travelling in the
East in order to study Japanese activities on the Asiatic continent in
general.’
The
route which the party took after leaving Dolonnor and which has puzzled
obviously a number of people, was not of their own choosing. but was
recommended to them by the Japanese military authorities at Dolonnor who
declared all other routes to be impracticable and who dictated to the party
the stations to be passed by them Viz. Huangchitayingtze, Szelangcheng,
Habarga and. PaoChanghsien.
Peiping, August 20th, 1935
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Extract from THE PEIPING CHRONICLE
August 21st. 1935.
MUELLER MAKES IMPORTANT
STATEMENT ON JONES CASE.
Says
No Warning Given by Chinese Authorities Against Travelling to Dolonor;
“Route of return Journey was not or Our Own Choosing but was recommended by
Japanese Military Authorities in Dólonor,” He Declares.
PEIPING,
August 20. - Dr. Herbert Mueller, kidnapped last month with Mr. Gareth Jones
returned here from Kalgan this morning. On the news of the finding of a body
believed to be that of Mr. Jones, Dr. Mueller went to Kalgan. When there,
news of the killing of five bandits reached Kalgan and he endeavoured to get
to PaoChang to try and identify them. He was not allowed to proceed, the
Kalgan authorities refusing permission for a pass although, states Dr.
Mueller, orders to facilitate his Journey were sent to Kalgan by a civil
Chinese authority in Peiping.
Dr.
Mueller’s $taternent:
On
returning Dr. Mueller made the following statement in reply to an official
statement on the case issued recently by the Central News Agency; He
said:“The statement published by the Central News Agency on August 18
cannot be passed in silence by the surviving member of the part which
trvelled from Kalgan to Te-wang-fu, Paitzemiao, western Uchumuchin, East
Sunnit, Pangkiang and Dolonor between July 11 and July 27, and which was
attacked by bandits on the way back to Kalgan on July 28.
“At
the time the party left Kalgan there were no reports at all of rampant
banditry in any parts of Inner Mongolia. A large party of foreigners was
staying at Mr. PA. Larson’s camp, Chagan Kurien Sumu, and members of this
party were making long excursions into the country without being molested in
any way. Other large parties of foreigners and Chinese coming from Kalgan
and Suiyuan converged at the residence of the Prince of West Sunnit in order
to participate in the Obo festival of that tribe on July 14.
No
Special Warning
“There
was nothing adventurous about a trip Into Inner Mongolia at that time and,
accordingly, there was no special warning and the pledge relieving the
Chinese authorities of all responsibility was signed as a matter of routine,
as I have done before and as it has been done for years now by everybody who
wishes to pass. outside the Great Wall. We were not told we could go only as
far as Erhhsien and Pailingiao, but we got permission, valid for a month
from July 11, to travel to Inner Mongolia, Erhlien and Pailingmiao. Erhlien
lies north of Pangkiang on the Urga road and Pailingmiao is north of Kweihua.
No
Warning Given in Kalgan:
“The
places we visited were to the east of Pangkiang and certainly were covered
by the written permission to visit “Inner Mongolia, Erhlien and Pailingmiao”.
There was no warning given by the Chinese authorities in Kalgan against
proceeding to Dolonor and consequently we showed no ‘utter disregard’ to
such a warning. I am an experienced traveller and have known Inner Mongolia
since 1913 and have gone thousands of miles there. I know the risks and
hardships of travelling in those parts and when approached by Mr. Gareth
Jones for advice as to a visit I recommended a more comfortable trip based
on the Suiyuan railway though I was myself making preparations for a more
extended journey into eastern Chahar.
Advice from a third party prevailed and I consented reluctantly to accept
the company of Mr. Jones, telling him quite openly that it was the first
time I Had taken another foreigner on such a trip and that by doing so I was
acting against my principles.
Purpose of Trip
“My
intention on this trip was to visit Eastern Chahar up to the Manchurian and
Outer Mongolian boundaries to study the activities of Japan in
those parts. This tallied with Mr. Jones’ plans, he saying that he was
travelling in the East in order to study Japanese activities on the Asiatic
continent In general.
“The
route which we took after leaving Dolonor and which has puzzled a number of
people, was not of our own, choosing but was recommended to us by, the
Japanese military authorities in Dolonor. They declared all other routes to
be impracticable and dictated to our party the stations to be passed by us,
.yiz:HuangChitayingtse, SzelangCheng, Habarga and Paoohanghsien..”
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