by the Chinese and for which we consider considerable pay. Now what is our position at Kowloon in order to connect with the Chinese land line which runs from Canton to a point on the Chinese mainland, about two miles from our station. We are quite prepared to give the Chinese the privileges of coming into Hong Kong. We connect Shanghai, and the Chinese Company have declined and have practically advised against connecting their system with ours, and they are conveying messages from their terminus at Foochow to Hong Kong by means of a launch service.
You will observe this is not at all in accordance with what the Chinese have stated they would do at Shanghai and regard to Foochow. The Chinese have refused to allow us to land our cable, we have therefore had to place the ends of our cable at Shantou Peak about one hundred and twenty miles from Foochow, and from that point to the city messages are conveyed partly by launch and partly by courier service.
The Chinese have a land line from Foochow to the White Fort, a point five miles from Shantou Peak, but they will not allow us to use it for conveying messages. You will therefore see that...