AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
33356]
No. 1.
40462 1
[October 31 NOV 06
SECTION 2-
Sir,
Peking Syndicate to Foreign Office.-(Received October 3.).
110, Cannon Street, London, October 1, 1906.
I AM instructed by my Directors to again bring to the notice of the Secretary of State the persistent obstruction which is being offered by the Chinese Government to the working of coal in Shansi.
On the 31st May I had the honour to address you on this subject, and it was then suggested that, should the Chinese authorities persist in their refusal to issue a permit to open coal mines in terms of Article 1 of the Shansi Concession, a formal claim for damages should be presented through His Majesty's Legation at Peking. From your reply of the 13th June it was understood that Sir Edward Grey was unable to adopt this suggestion, but Mr. Brown, the Agent-General of the Syndicate, was authorized, at his discretion, to lodge a claim for 200l. a-day as compensation for loss and damage to the Syndicate for every day's delay in the issue of the permit, should he deem the time opportune for doing so. Acting in concert with the British Legation, whose support and assistance my Directors gladly and gratefully acknowledge, Mr. Brown has hitherto refrained from presenting this claim, and up till recently we have been given to understand that negotiations were proceeding favourably, and that a speedy and satisfactory settlement might be anticipated. My Directors, however, very much regret to have to state that they are in receipt of a telegram from Mr. Brown, in which he gives it as his opinion that the Wai-wu Pu are merely trifling, and that the strongest support of the Foreign Office is urgently required to bring about a settlement. I enclose copy of this telegram, dated the 26th ultimo, the first part of which, as you will see, repeats a telegram received by Mr. Brown from Sir John Jordan. My Directors learn with much satisfaction from this that Sir John Jordan has now taken the matter into his own hands, and that should his representations be ineffectual he will, after the beginning of October, propose to take some further action.
My Directors are well content to leave the particular mode of enforcing the Syndicate's claims to Sir John Jordan's discretion, and the object in now addressing you is, first, to put the Foreign Office in possession of what has transpired since I last addressed you; and, secondly, to express the earnest hope of my Directors that the Secretary of State will be pleased to take such steps as may be necessary to vindicate the rights acquired by the Syndicate under the Concessions, and bring this long-pending question to a satisfactory conclusion.
(Telegraphic.)
I have, &c.
(Signed) THOS. GILBERT, Secretary.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Mr. G. Brown to Peking Syndicate.
HAVE just received cable from the British Minister, Peking, to the following effect:---
Tien-tsin, September 26, 1906.
"I shall seize the first opportunity to press issue of Shansi permit. I quite recognize that you have waited long enough, but, as Foreign Office, London, cannot be in possession of full information until at the beginning of October, I would prefer that if my representation is not effectual to wait at least until then before proposing further action."
Result is claim again stands postponed. My opinion is the Wai-wu Pu trifling; strongest support from Foreign Office, London, urgently required.
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