CONFIDENTIAL,
Hongkong.
23rd March, 1904.
C.C.
146734/16
Id 25 PR 04)
Government House,
Hongkong, 23rd March, 1904.
Sir,
PRINTED
FOR USE
EASTERN
No.
88
COLONIAL
OFFICE
Referring to my previous Despatches on the subject of the Canton-Hankow Railway, I have the honour to transmit for your information the enclosed newspaper report of a speech made by Mr. Gershon Stewart, Member of the Legislative Council, at the recent Annual Meeting of the local Branch of the China Association.
2. Mr. Stewart has been resident in the Colony for over 20 years and is one of the ablest men here and a very shrewd and successful man of business. He is keenly interested in the development and progress of the Colony, but has no pecuniary interest in the proposed line of railway. His remarks are therefore valuable as shewing the opinion of an unbiassed mind which looks only to the interest of the Colony in this matter.
3. You will observe that Mr. Stewart shares my opinion that it would be a sound transaction for this Colony to guarantee a moderate interest on the cost of construction of the line, and that he emphasises the crucial point in the question when he says that the linking of this Port with Canton would render impossible the development of any port on the banks
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
ALFRED LYTTELTON, K.C.,
M.P.,
20
800.4
&c...