国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

persuade me that I should not pay the slightest attention to the demands and the intolerance of the opposition, that I should rather harden and take a strong initiative against those who sought to hinder the expedition and simply set off for the interior in spite of them. This method seemed both manly and attractive, but the sequel proved it to be false. When, about this time, I met the French Minister, Comte DE MARTEL, he expressed his admiration for my patience. In his opinion, patience and forbearance were the only weapons with which one could make any headway against Chinese opponents.

FIRST DRAFT OF CONTRACT

When Professor ANDERSSON and I had thoroughly discussed the cardinal points in which we considered that the opposition might at least formally be allowed to have their way, ANDERSSON drew up the document they had asked for. It was unreservedly approved by Dr WONG. The essential contents was as follows:

The Scientific Mission into north-western China is organized by the Union of Scientific Corporations of Peking.

The fact of the matter was that the opposition demanded that the expedition be regarded as a purely Chinese initiative, in which a number of Europeans had been granted permission to participate. This was really only a formality, designed to satisfy and calm down the university circles and the nationalistic feelings of the students. For me personally and from the Western point of view it was of course a matter of complete indifference what the Chinese opposition and the press chose to call the expedition. In the history of geographical research it would always find its rightful name; and the Chinese nationalists who wished to shine in front of their own people with borrowed plumes and to appropriate to themselves a merit that by no means belonged to them could only earn a quickly fading glimmer of ridicule.

Furthermore, I was willing to accede to the demand that I should be referred to as co-director of the expedition, and' have a Chinese co-director at my side. The enterprise was thus to have two leaders, one foreign and one Chinese — a fundamental mistake, as such an undertaking must be guided by one will and at the responsibility of one man. However, I acceded to this demand in the calm assurance that the hard and serious business of life in the field would automatically decide which of the two directors was the real leader.

At my preliminary meetings the Chinese had also decided to found an Honorary Board of a few prominent scientists who were to be informed in advance of the schedule for the scientific work during the expedition. In collaboration with the Chinese co-director, this Board was to prepare and deal with all practical questions.

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