This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[December 2.]
SECTION 1.
[39684]
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received December 2.)
(No. 208. Confidential.)
(Telegraphic.) P.
SOOCHOW-NINGPO Railway negotiations.
Please see your telegram No. 129 of the 29th ultimo.
Peking, December 2, 1907.
I received a visit to-day from Liang, one of the Ministers of the Wai-wu Pu. He came to see me on behalf of Yuan Shih K'ai, who is ill. He informed me that it was reported that private negotiations in connection with the question of the railway were being carried on at Shanghae, and he added that Yuan's position would be very seriously affected were any compromise arrived at independently of the Wai-wu Pu. He expressed the opinion both as his own and as shared by Yuan, that a disruptionist movement might ensue if the Central Government did not remain firm. They feared that a similar result to that of 1900 might be caused by the present temporizing with the province, and a Boxer movement in the south be produced.
Liang begged me to address a private letter to Yuan, so that the latter might show it to Cabinet; the letter was to point out the grave dangers of the situation.
I said that I knew nothing of any negotiations, gave Liang a positive assurance that no independent settlement would be made by the concessionnaires, and promised to write a private letter to Yuan in the sense suggested.
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three times. Here is the rewritten response.This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[December 2.]
SECTION 1.
[39684]
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received December 2.)
(No. 208. Confidential.)
(Telegraphic.) P.
SOOCHOW-NINGPO Railway negotiations.
Please see your telegram No. 129 of the 29th ultimo.
Peking, December 2, 1907.
I received a visit to-day from Liang, one of the Ministers of the Wai-wu Pu. He came to see me on behalf of Yuan Shih K'ai, who is ill. He informed me that it was reported that private negotiations in connection with the question of the railway were being carried on at Shanghae, and he added that Yuan's position would be very seriously affected were any compromise arrived at independently of the Wai-wu Pu. He expressed the opinion both as his own and as shared by Yuan, that a disruptionist movement might ensue if the Central Government did not remain firm. They feared that a similar result to that of 1900 might be caused by the present temporizing with the province, and a Boxer movement in the south be produced.
Liang begged me to address a private letter to Yuan, so that the latter might show it to Cabinet; the letter was to point out the grave dangers of the situation.
I said that I knew nothing of any negotiations, gave Liang a positive assurance that no independent settlement would be made by the concessionnaires, and promised to write a private letter to Yuan in the sense suggested.
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Page 505
Page 505
Page 505