346
I did not report the matter at once, as it was very generally thought that the ceremony was merely a cloak for further delay.
Work is, however, now in active progress. A track had been previously marked out around the east side of the city from Chiang Kan to Hu Shu near the Settlement by cutting down trees and demolishing bouses. The work of preparing this track for the rails by building embankments, levelling, &c., has been commenced at several points within the last few days, and is now being prosecuted actively.
The building of bridges en route is to be done by contract, and advertisements calling for tenders have been issued.
From information derived from a sub-engineer on the railway I understand that it is hoped to have trains running on the Hangchow section in six months. Rails have been ordered from Hupei; wood is being obtained through a Japanese Company from the Yalu; engines have been ordered from America, and are on the way here now.
A school for the training of persons to act as station-masters, clerks, &c., is shortly to be opened, and two Japanese instructors, who have already arrived in Hangchow from Japan, have been engaged to teach in it.
I have, &c. (Signed)
J. L. SMITH.
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[3111]
No. 1.
[January 28.]
SECTION 7. C.O.
7655
Rea
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received January 28, 1907) 28 FEB 07 (No. 525.) Sir,
Peking, December 12, 1906. WITH reference to my telegram No. 224 of the 20th ultimo, and to your telegram No. 214 of the 8th instant, I have the honour to state that, on the 8th instant, I received a telegram from His Majesty's Consul-General at Yünnan-fu to the effect that the Viceroy, at the instance of the local Bureau of Agriculture, had memorialized last month for the purpose of obtaining a Decree announcing that all railway enterprises in Yunnan Province, excepting the French railway from Tonquia, should be entirely Chinese.
To prevent a repetition of the tactics which have complicated the Soochow- Hangchow-Ningpo Railway Concession, I mentioned the information which had reached me and the source of it in my interview yesterday at the Wai-wu Pu, and, producing the despatches exchanged by Sir E. Satow and Prince Ching in March 1902 for inspection, requested the Grand Secretary, Ch'u Hung-Chi, to take the necessary precautions against the issue of any Decree which might conflict with the terms of the engagement therein recorded.
His Excellency said that communications of the nature reported by His Majesty's Consul-General had been received from Yunnan. He read the 1902 correspondence, and, pointing to the sentence, "whatever privileges are conceded to French enterprise shall also be accorded to British enterprise," said that it was very definite.
I explained that my chief motive for reminding the Wai-wu Pu of this under- taking arose from our experience in connection with the preliminary Agreement for the Soochow-Hangchow-Ningpo Railway.
His Excellency took note of my request.
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I have, &c.
(Signed)
J. N. JORDAN.