4
approached them either about the reconnaissance or the Tengyueh Railway. As regards the former, I should hold the Governor-General to his agreement.
The difficulty was that, as I have said, the agreement was made verbally. I ought no doubt to have at once caused it to be committed to writing, but at that time (the 16th) May) it did not occur to me, nor I am sure to Ting chiht'ai, that opposition would be raised to a reconnaissance similar in all essentials to two others that had passed without remonstrance from any quarter. If, moreover, the principle is once not only admitted by the Wai-wu Pu, but officially communicated by them to the Yunnan Government, that the British are to receive equal treatment in Yünnan to that accorded to the French, the comparatively minor question of our right of survey resolves itself. I telegraphed accordingly to your Government and to Sir John Jordan on the 31st October saying that the Governor-General finally writes that circumstances have changed since the last reconnaissance-a Chinese Company has memorialized for permission to construct the Tengyueh Railway-will I telegraph to the Government of India that Yunnan has wired to the Wai-wu Pu to consult the British Minister, and it would be inexpedient that the engineers should cross the frontier ? I added that in this affair and in that of the railway I can do nothing more until the Minister constrains the Wai-wu Pu to telegraph to the Yunnan Government that we must receive equal treatment in Yunnan to that of the French in the matter of railway construction.
Were this done, I should anticipate little further trouble; but without it the timid Governor- General will not move.
I am confident that we have only to stand firmly by our rights, and we can obtain anything up to and inclusive of a metre-gauge railway from the Burmah frontier to Yunnan-fu under our own exclusive control, and irredeemable by the Chinese for eighty years. I strongly suspect, indeed, that insistence on our part would be secretly welcomed by the Governor-General himself, who can have no love for the domineering literati. I am certain that it would be welcomed by the trading classes. As far as I can learn, the only honest, if mistaken, objections to it on the part of thoughtful Chinese are (1) that it would facilitate invasion; (2) that during its construction the price of rice in the province would be enhanced. The cry of hold on the profits" ("li-ch'uan ") "lost to China," means in reality that mandarins and literati would have no opportunity to squeeze.
I commend to your attention the first objection. It shows that those who hold it would be averse to building any railway at all, and that therefore if we now yield no railway will be built.
As I have said before, I do not suggest that we should untertake all at once so extensive a work as a railway on the French scale to the provincial capital, or that we should refuse to entertain reasonable requests on the part of China for some modifications of the French terms. I do suggest that we should formally claim the whole, as we have a right to do. But when our claim is allowed we can choose our own time and manner of carrying it into effect. If we elect to build only a light railway with its terminus at Tengyuel, instead of a trunk line from Kunlong Ferry to Yunnan-fn we can do so. I do not say that we should be wise in our election, but merely that the choice would rest with us, and not with the Government of China.
So with the minor matter of the Tali reconnaissance. The larger claim once allowed, the right to survey anywhere follows. The French surveyed for five years, up the Sin-hsien Valley, on through Hsin-hsaing Chou, and finally by the Namhti and Peitabo gorges, before they turned a sod of their Yünnan line.
I would submit, therefore, that it would be best to allow the present question of the Tali reconnaissance to abide the result of the demands which Sir John Jordan will doubtless be making on the Wai-wu Pu for instructions to the Yunnan Government to give effect to our right of equality of treatment with the French. If for any reason your Government finds it impossible to defer Mr. Lilley's departure until then (although I trust that so clear an issue will not need two months to decide), I would suggest that Mr. Lilley, and as many European engineers as he requires, should present them- selves at Tengyuch as "British subjects authorized to travel for their pleasure to all parts of the interior under passports," to quote from Article IX of the Treaty of Tien- tsin. Their retinue should be reduced to as few persons as possible, Burmese taking. where this can be done without detriment, the place of natives of India.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
W. II. WILKINSON.
a
5
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
The following documents are all translations from Chinese originals.]
Consul-General Wilkinson to Governor-General Ting.
October 8, 1906.
THE Consul-General has just had the honour to receive from the Government of Burmah a telegram saying that a British engineer, Mr. Lilley, accompanied by either three or six assistant engineers, a hospital assistant, three writers, twenty-two menials (for carrying surveying instruments), and twenty private servants proposes to leave Bhamo ou the 1st January next (the 11th of the 11th moon) and proceed to Tengyueh to make a reconnaissance of the routes in the country between Tengyueh and Tali, The Consul-General is accordingly requested to ask his Excellency the Governor- General of the Yun-kuei to give instructions to the local authorities of the districts traversed to afford, as before, protection and assistance.
The Consul-General has therefore the honour to address his Excellency in the above sense, requesting him to be good enough to give instructions to the authorities of the districts traversed to afford, as on previous occasions, assistance and protection. He avails, &c.
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Governor-General Ting to Consul-General Wilkinson.
Kuung-Hsü, 32nd year, 8th moon, 23rd day (October 10, 1906).
THE Governor-General has lately had the honour to receive the Consul-General's note saying that the British Engineer Lilley, with his assistant engineers, is proceeding to Tengyuel to make a recounaissance of the routes in the country between Tengyuch and Tali, and asking that protection and assistance may be afforded to them.
This note the Governor-General handed at the time to the Directors of the Yännan-Szechuan and Tengyueh Railways Company for discussion.
The Directors and the Delegates for the three divisions of Yunnan report, as the result of their deliberations, that the Tengyueh Railway having by Treaty to be constructed by Yunnan herself, the section through the intervening country to Tali must also, according to the Treaty, be taken in hand by Yunnan, As regards the places to be examined by the engineers, of whom the Consul-General speaks, the frontier ought not to be crossed for purposes of a survey, and it is asked that a communication in the above sense may be returned.
The Governor-General accordingly begs to convey the above, and avails, &c.
Inclosure 4 in No. 1.
Consul-General Wilkinson to Governor-General Ting.
October 11, 1906.
THE Consul-General has just had the honour to receive the Governor-General's note acknowledging receipt of the former's letter stating that the British engineer Lilley, with his assistant engineers, is proceeding to Tengyuch for a reconnaissance of the routes in the country between Tengyueb and Tali, and asking for protection and assistance. The Governor-General had, his Excellency's note states, handed this letter to the Directors of the Yunnan-Szechuan and Tengyueh Railways Company for discussion.
The Consul-General would observe that on the 14th May last-that is, the 21st day of the 4th moon--he had the honour to receive instructions from His Majesty's Minister at Peking, in consequence of which he called on the 16th at his Excellency's official residence, where at a personal interview it was agreed that "the Government of Burmah may send engineers to the Tengyueh country to examine the routes between Tengyuel and Tali, but that this would not be more than a general reconnaissance; should it appear that a railway can be built, its construction will have to be further considered."
[2284 y-1}
С
93