546
27192
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA RAILWAYS,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[23380]
No. 1.
REC [July 15.
30 JUL 07
SECTION 1.
}
(No. 248.) Sir,
Sir J, Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received July 15.)
Peking, May 28, 1907. IN a despatch, copy of which I have the honour to inclose, His Majesty's Acting Consul-General at Canton reports the engagement of two British and an additional Japanese engineer for the Canton-Hankow Line, of which thirty miles are at present under construction at the Canton end.
I learn from His Majesty's Consul-General at Hankow that Mr. Ross, a British subject, has been engaged as executive engineer on the Hunan section of the same line, and that there are three British competitors for the post of chief engineer on this portion of the line. One of these, Mr. Newmarch, of the Imperial Northern Railways, is recommended by Mr. Kinder, who has offered his services, through Mr. Fraser, to the Viceroy for the purpose.
I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Inclosure in No. 1.
1
{
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Acting Consul-General Sly to Sir J. Jordan.
(No. 21.) Sir,
Canton, May 3, 1907. IN continuation of Mr. Mansfield's despatch No. 18 of the 15th ultimo, and with reference to Mr. Consul-General Fraser's despatch to you No. 35 of the following day,
I have the honour to report the engagement of two British and an additional Japanese engineer by the Yuch-Han Railway Company. The information first appeared in the native press, and is confirmed by Mr. Kwang, the chief engineer of the line. They are all three section engineers, due to arrive in four or five weeks, but informs
Mr. Kwang may, me, be later promoted should they give satisfaction. Division or district engineers will, as the work advances, be required; at present thirty miles are under construction. According to Mr. Kwang he will, with the arrival of these three gentlemen, have seven engineers under him; one other Chinese is expected, making, with the Japanese and Chinese previously engaged, a total number of six. The seventh is, I am inclined to think, either Mr. Sherven, a Norwegian, who is working on the road, though it is not quite clear whether on this or the northern end, or Mr. Williams, an American. The latter was associated with Chang Pi-shih (Chang Chen-hsün) on the projected Canton-Whampoa-Amoy route, and his employment on the Yueh-Ilan Railway is, the vernacular papers have it, desired.
Messrs. Macdonald & Co., a British firm, have recently secured a contract to supply the railway with 50,000 sleepers, Australian hardwood, at a cost of 120,000 dollars. They were beaten in their tender for 3,000 tons of steel rails, fish-plates, &c., by the Mitsui Busen Kaisha, who have obtained the contract at, roughly, 25,000, the material coming from the Carnegie Steel Company, America.
An Imperial Decree, received here by telegraph on the 25th ultimo, sanctions the appointments of his Excellency Wu T'ing-fang and Chang Pi-shih as Chief Controllers. These selections are, according to the native press, not approved by the Shanghae shareholders.
Copies of this despatch go to the Hong Kong Government and His Majesty's Consul-General at Hankow.
I have, &c. (Signed)
H. E. SLY.
[2571 p-1]
}