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and as the Syndicate can naturally reckon on progressive profits, the rate of compensa- tion will be increased above 2001, a-day after a certain period.
Your Excellency,
I avail, &c.
(Signed)
J. N. JORDAN.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Mr. G. Brown to Sir J. Jordan,
Tien-tsin January 3, 1907. THE overtures which, as your Excellency is aware, his Excellency Ting Pao-ch'uan, Judge, and at present Acting Provincial Treasurer of Shansi, made through the Rev. Arthur Sowerby, of Taiyuan-fu, for a meeting with me, ostensibly to adjust the difficulties arising out of the Governor's failure to grant the Syndicate's application for a permit under the Imperially-sanctioned Agreement of 1898, have so far resulted in the visit of two deputies from his Excellency Ting to Tien-tsin. Their names are Ch'en Chu Lun and Ch'en Chih Fen, the former being a Magistrate (retired) by rank, and the latter an Assistant Magistrate. These gentlemen paid me a visit on the 27th December, and I regret to say that it cannot be described as satisfactory. They had no definite proposition to put forward, although they admitted full knowledge of the stipulations communicated by me, with your Excellency's approval, for his Excellency Ting's acceptance as a necessary preliminary to the conference which his Excellency professed to desire. These stipulations were :-----
1. His Excellency Ting must be properly authorized by the Provincial Government. 2. His Excellency Ting must have some reasonable proposal to put forward.
3. His Excelleney Ting must arrange for the suggested meeting to take place in the Wai-wu Pu at Peking.
I inclose, for your Excellency's information, a record of this matter, including an account by Dr. Gatrell, of the Syndicate, of what transpired at my interview with the deputies and in his own subsequent conversations with them.
His Excellency Ting's idea, if correctly interpreted by his delegates, seems to be that if the Syndicate abandons the whole of its rights in Shansi all will be well, and that a meeting on any other basis would be futile.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
GEORGE BROWN.
MEMORANDUM of a Meeting of Mr. George Brown, Agent-General of the Peking Syndicate (Limited), and Ch'en Chu Lun, a District Magistrate, sent by his Excel- lency Ting of Shansi to talk over the matter of arranging a meeting between Mr. Brown and Ting Nieh-t'ai.
THE meeting took place at Mr. Brown's house in the afternoon of the 27th December, 1906. There were also present Mr. Chen Chih Fen, an Assistant District Magistrate, who accompanied Ch'en Chu Lun and Dr. Gatrell.
Mr. Chien commenced by saying that his Excellency Ting much regretted that he was unable to come in person; that he was exceedingly anxious to meet Mr. Brown to consult with him regarding the Peking Syndicate opening mines in Shansi, and gave as the reason for his Excellency Ting not being able to come, the fact that he had recently been commanded by an Imperial Edict to take over the duties of Provincial Treasurer, Mr. Ch'en also said that an interpreter who started with him from Shansi had had to return owing to illness. Mr. Brown said that it was a great pity Messrs. Ch'en had gone to the trouble of taking so long a journey to talk over a matter which might easily have been arranged by letter. Mr. Chen replied that his going to a little inconvenience was not important. He then spoke of the excitement among the people of Shansi, and quoted a native paper which said that the people of Shansi were willing to die to a man rather than agree to the Syndicate opening mines in their province. Mr. Brown asked, "Who was responsible for the excitement ?" Mr. Ch'en replied that
it arose from a Shansi man named Li, a student in Japan, having committed suicide in
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anger at the way in which the Government had dealt with the Peking Syndicate's reques for a permit. Mr. Brown asked whether Mr. Ch'en believed such statements as the one quoted. Mr. Ch'en in an evasive manner replied that he was not acquainted with the people of Shansi, having only recently visited the province for the first time, but he considered that such statements showed how serious the situation was. Mr. Brown again asked, "Who were the ringleaders in the recent demonstrations?" Mr. Ch'en replied: "It is impossible to give names, as students, merchants, and farmers were all equally excited." Mr. Brown asked, "Had the Tung Chi Company had anything to do with it " Mr. Ch'en said, "No," and Chen Chih Fen added, "The Tung Chi Com- pany's affairs have nothing whatever to do with the matter about which Mr. Brown is engaged." Mr. Brown then asked, From whom did the Tung Chi Company obtain their permit to mine?" and pointed out that the Tung Chi Company could not be said to bear no relation to the Peking Syndicate, seeing that they followed the Syndicate's movements so closely. Mr. Chien then said, "The Tung Chi Company has no permit, as it is a native Company mining by native methods." Afterwards, at Ch'en Chih Fen's suggestion, Mr. Ch'en said, "Of course the Tung Chi Company had a licence ( chih chao') from the Board of Commerce.' "Then," said Mr. Brown, "if you cannot say who the ringleaders were, who were suppressed F" This embarrassed Mr. Ch'en con- siderably, and he replied, "The Governor, Provincial Treasurer, and Ting Nieh Tai all used their influence in order to maintain order and to quiet those who were excited." Mr. Brown remarked that he saw no evidence of ill-will upon the part of the people, and so be concluded that the opposition came from others. To this Mr. Ch'en replied evasively to the effect that all Shansi people were against the Syndicate operating mines. Mr. Ch'en then asked Mr. Brown whether, seeing he bad requested an interview with his Excellency Ting, he would be willing to go to Ping Tan for the purpose, and he pointed out that Ping T'an was in Shansi, and could be reached by rail. Mr. Brown replied that the request for an interview came from his Excellency Ting, and that, moreover, his Excellency Ting had signified his willingness to meet Mr. Brown either at Peking, Tien-tsin, or Piagtingchow. And, further, that Mr. Brown, believing his Excellency Ting to be in earnest, had consulted with the British Minister, who had expressed his desire that a meeting should take place, and that it should be at the Wai-wu Pu. The telegram referring to this meeting, and setting forth the three condi- tions, namely:-
*
1. That his Excellency Ting be properly authorized by the Provincial Govern- ment;
2. That his Excellency Ting have some reasonable proposal to put forward; and 3. That his Excellency Ting arrange for the meeting to take place at the Wai- wu Pu, Peking
was then mentioned.
Mr. Ch'en explained that his Excellency Ting having been appointed Provincial Treasurer made it impossible for him to leave the province. Mr. Brown asked, "In such an important matter could not his Excellency Ting apply for special leave to go to Peking?" Mr. Chien said, This is not practicable, but that if Mr. Brown could wait until the second or third moon of next year, his Excellency Ting might be able to leave." Mr. Brown then asked whether his Excellency Ting were properly authorized by the Provincial Government. Mr. Ch'en made no satisfactory reply, but again men- tioned the difficulty his Excellency Ting was in, and asked Mr. Brown to go to Ping T'an. Mr. Brown replied, "The arrangement with the British Minister that the meeting. take place at the Wai-wu Pu cannot be changed." Mr. Brown said, further, that it appeared to him that his Excellency Ting was only delaying matters. Mr. Ch'en assured Mr. Brown that his Excellency Ting was most anxious to have the matter settled, and that his being appointed to take up the duties of Provincial Treasurer alone prevented his coming to Peking. Mr. Ch'en also asked whether Mr. Brown was properly authorized. Mr. Brown said that his authority was recognized by the British Minister and Wai-wu Pu, &c. The Chinese version of the three points above mentioned was then handed to Mr. Chen, who glanced through it most earnestly. It was again pointed out that these points were included in the telegram sent to Mr. Sowerby, and Mr. Brown expressed surprise that his Excellency Ting had not brought forward some reasonable proposal. Mr. Ch'en then asked, What is meant by and what would constitute a reasonable proposal?" Mr. Brown said, "Seeing his Excellency Ting had all the correspondence on the subject and the original Agreement before him, there should be no great difficulty in saying what would constitute a 'reasonable proposal,' but that what- ever proposals were made, they should include the issue of the permit." Mr. Chen then asked whether in case his Excellency Ting should make proposals and send them
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