MEL.
[25891]
(No. 273.) Sir,
No. 1
And I SEP 06
Sir Edward Grey to Mr. Carnegie.
600
Foreign Office, August 10, 1906.
IN your note to Prince Ch'ing of the 7th June, of which you inclosed a copy in your despatch No. 258 of the 9th June last, you stated that if the iron barrier in the Canton River were completely removed you would be able to report that, in your opinion, the terms of Article V of the Mackay Treaty had been fulfilled.
I had hitherto, in view of the despatches from His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton, received direct, and through His Majesty's Legation, been under the impression that the stipulations of the Article above mentioned had already been satisfactorily fulfilled by the Chinese Government on the completion of the programme drawn up by Mr. Tyler, as reported in despatch No. 27 of the 29th August, 1905, to this Office from His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton.
That impression was further strengthened by the opinion expressed in the last paragraph of Sir M. Nathan's despatch to Sir E. Satow of the 23rd December, 1904, to the effect that "it would be unwise to carry out further works than those detailed in the Memorandum until the effect of these on the waterways is clearly determined."
I shall therefore be glad to learn that your note to Prince Ch'ing has had the desired effect, and I request that you will inform me as soon as the iron barrier has been completely removed.
I am, &c.
(Signed) EDWARD GREY.
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