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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL,
[39341]
No. 1.
C.O
[November 27
Heries 5 RE 2 JAN 08
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received November 30.)
(No. 500.) Sir,
Peking, October 17, 1907. WITH reference to my despatch No. 419 of the 3rd ultimo on the subject of the Peking Syndicate's affairs in Shansi, I have the honour to report the arrival in Peking of the Provincial Judge, Ting Pao Chuan, and the commencement of negotiations between him and the Agent-General of the Syndicate.
Ting Ta-jên had shown considerable reluctance in fulfilling his promise to come to Peking, and had returned to his post in Taiyuan-fu early in September without meeting Mr. Brown at Tien-tsin as originally arranged. In consequence, however, of represen- tations which I made at the Wai-wu Pu, orders were issued to him, under Imperial Decree, to come to the capital without further delay, and he arrived here on the 5th October accompanied by the Head of the Shansi Bureau of Commerce and a number of representative gentry.
On the 8th October he called upon me, and, in the course of a discursive conversa- tion on the feeling aroused in Shansi during the past two years, declared his intention of arriving at a friendly settlement with the Syndicate on the basis of their Agreement of 1898.
This intention was not carried out at the meeting which followed on the 12th October between him, the Shansi gentry, and Mr. George Brown.
At this meeting the gentry sought to go behind the Agreement altogether, and to question its validity. Mr. Brown let them have their say, and succeeded in dispelling a few misconceptions. A second meeting took place this morning (17th October) when more progress was made towards a preliminary understanding. Before they adjourned, Mr. Brown demanded a definite answer to the question whether they accepted the Agreement, but this they were not prepared to give. They desired time to communi- cate with Taiyuan-fu, the provincial capital,
It was thereupon agreed that they should have an answer ready by the 21st October, when the next meeting is to take place.
I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
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