National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

would be content with four stations they tried to stand out for five scientists and eight students, making thirteen altogether.

I:   I cannot afford more than seven.

They: We will pay for the six.

I:   It will make the caravan too big and unwieldy and expensive; every extra
man means three camels.

They: As according to your own proposal the stations are to be taken over by Chinese observers, we cannot leave only one at each station; he would feel too lonely and isolated.

I:   I have been lonely and isolated for twelve long years in the interior of
Asia, and I was a stranger in your provinces. At the stations situated in towns, Hami, Urumchi and Charchan, there are Chinese enough. For the desert station at Ghashun-nor I will take two observers. And I need, according to what Dr WONG has told me, only one geologist, which means that I can do with four scientists and five students, or a total of nine, and this is my maximum. I can not take more, for I intend to pay their salaries, $150 a month to each of the scientists and $50 to the students, which amounts to $850 a month or $10,200 a year.

They: We are willing to pay everything in excess of 75o a month.

I:   No, I will pay those who accompany the expedition myself. I pay the
Europeans and I will treat the Chinese in the same way — there must be no differences in this respect.

They: We can leave this question open and bring it up at the next meeting.

As to publications, a Preliminary Report was to be printed in Peking, the idea being that each science should have one volume; so, for example, the three archaeologists would have one volume in two languages, i. e. 100 pages foreign and loo pages Chinese. They accepted my proposal concerning the way in which the writing and editing of these volumes should be allotted. The Committee wished to see all manuscripts before publication. Furthermore, they insisted that after the publication of the scientific works all original maps, photographs etc. should be preserved in Peking.

As regards the question of filming, they wanted to know whether it was my intention to make a world-film to be shown in Europe, America and Asia. Yes, such was my intention. They then insisted that they must be allowed to censor it, since it had happened that films taken in China and shown in Europe and America had been of a nature to arouse feelings of contempt or ridicule for the Chinese people. They asked me what I intended to film, and on being told they had nothing to object. But after the actual film had passed their censorship they required that it should be shown for the first time in Peking, and afterwards abroad. To this I agreed with pleasure.

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