[This Document is the Property of His Britanie Majesty's Government.
[Pica]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Enclos in no
536
(Mây 253
SECTION 2.
(No. 84.)
The Marquess of Lansdowne to Sir E. Satou.
Foreign Office, May 25, 1905.
(Telegraphic.) P.
PROJECT to construct railway to Whainpou. The Colonial Office represent that the hastening of the negotiations respecting the Canton-Kowloon Railway would be the best safeguard against above-mentioned project.
Suggestions to the same effect have been made independently by the British and Chinese Corporation and the Hong Kong China Association, but the former express apprehension that great procrastination is threatened by the present pause in the negotiations and by the intervention of Shêng.
Reasonable time must be given to the Chinese Government to consider the proposal, but it should be made plain to them that we expect the matter to be settled with expedition, as the Hong Kong Government are interested in it.
We also expect that means will be found to avoid a recurrence of the interminable delays in recent railway negotiations which have been caused by Sheng's obstruction.
[1987 66-2]