in no.
to
Excloure 2/6 Scacct desseendeter of 2.0/1/15
Notes on an Interview with Mr. Wei, Secretary to
the Viceroy of the Two Kwang, at Govern-
-ment House on November 27th.,
1905.
699
The Viceroy's Secretary came to see me this
afternoon nominally re Engineers for the survey of the
Chinese section of the Canton-Kowloon Railway. I told him
that the Chief Surveying Engineer had declined for personal
reasons to stay on but that he could be replaced and the
Assistant Engineer could be retained if an arrangement
could be made for the survey of the Chinese section under
the Consulting Engineers who were also the Consulting
Engineers for the British and Chinese Corporation.
I then went on to explain the general posi-
-tion: that the British and Chinese Corporation had an
agreement with the Chinese Government to build the Railway,
that the British Government were bound to support the Cor-
-poration in obtaining the fulfilment of that agreement and
if there were any detalls in it which the Viceroy did not
like he should negotiate with the Corporation for their
modification. I also explained the necessity for the sake
of economy and efficiency that the Railway when completed
should be worked under one administration in accordance
with an agreement to be made by the Viceroy with myself.
Mr. Wei said the Viceroy was now fully alive
to the necessity for the Railway but wished to keep the
Corporation out of it (adding that for his part he did not
share the Viceroy's views believing that the Corporation
would deal fairly with China). He thought that owing to the
Viceroy's views if the Corporation were not eliminated
there would be great delay in getting the Railway which
both the Viceroy and myself agreed to be necessary and
with regard to which it must be immaterial to Hongkong
whether