[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA RAILWAYS,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[January 2.)______
SECTION 2.700
[43613]
(No. 1.)
(Telegraphic.) P.
No. 1.
Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan.
Foreign Office, January 2, 1907. PARTICIPATION of Japanese in Anglo-French Railway construction. Your telegram No. 240 of the 7th December 1906.
Please see draft of Agreement between Chinese Central Railway Company and French and British groups sent privately by Mr. Campbell to Sir E. Satow in 1905, for objects and constitution of Chinese Central Railways.
The option to American capitalists which the Agreement provided for has lapsed. The Chinese Central Railways are entitled to the benefit of the following:-
(a.) The preliminary Agreement for the Pukow-Sinyang line, concluded the 6th January, 1899.
(b) The preliminary Agreement for the Tientsin-Yang-tsze line, concluded the 18th May, 1899.
(c.) A conditional grant for the Hankow-Szechuon line. (d.) A conditional grant for the Pukow-Yencheng line.
Provided that some arrangement were made whereby the preponderating control
of the British group is maintained, the co-operation of the Japanese would be welcomed by British Directors, and I am in correspondence with the latter as to how such an arrangement may be arrived at.
[2810 6-1]
[2326 6-2]
90