188
No. 1 in Sir E. Satow's No. 170 of
383
18902
I JUN 2 1906)
April 10th, 1906.
I.M. Consul-General, Canton, to Sir E. Satow,
H.B.M. Consulate-General, Canton,
No. 17
SUH
150
Un regret
Sir,
17th March, 1906.
Received 31st March, 1906.
With reference to the question of the Canton-Kowloon Railway and your telegram No. 15 of the 10th instant, I beg to enclose copy of the note which I addressed to the Viceroy in pursuance of your instructions.
On the 15th instant, the day after the receipt of my Note the Viceroy sent his three Secretaries to discuss the matter. The Viceroy was loud in his protestations of friendly intentions, but urged the necessity of proceeding with care and caution.
He invoked part of his efforts to obtain a copy of the Shanhaikuan Railway Agreement as a proof of his sincere desire to arrange matters. But the real object of the visit of the Secretaries, I soon found, was to endeavour to induce me to assent to the negotiations being transferred to T'ang Shao Yi in Peking.
The Secretaries on behalf of the Viceroy expatiated at some length on the suitability of such an arrangement; and failing to induce me to accept the Viceroy's proposal, they urged me, on the Viceroy's behalf, to submit the suggestion to you. This I also declined, requesting them to inform the Viceroy that I consider the proposal as merely an attempt to delay and complicate