This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
# CHINA RAILWAYS
## CONFIDENTIAL
[9688]
No. 1.
233
[March 21.
C. O. 12634
SECTION * 9 APR 06
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received March 21.)
(No. 56.)
Peking, February 3, 1908. Sir,
I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Consul-General at Mukden in which he reports the steps that are being taken for a joint survey by Japanese and Chinese engineers of the proposed Chang Chun-Kirin Railway.
This railway, it will be remembered, has been the subject of several Agreements between Japan and China.
In the Memorandum recording the Protocols of the Conference in connection with the Agreement of the 22nd December, 1905, it was agreed that this railway should be constructed by China with capital to be raised by herself, but that one-half of the total sum required should be borrowed from Japan.
By the Agreement of the 15th April last, copy of which was forwarded in my despatch No. 185 of the 16th April, it was stipulated that a Chinese engineer should be deputed to co-operate with a Japanese engineer in the survey of the line with a view to preparing an estimate of the cost and the conclusion of a loan agreement.
It is this latter understanding to which tardy effect is now being given, and which appears to be encountering the popular opposition to railway construction under foreign auspices, which has extended even to an outlying province like Kirin.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
l
Inclosure in No. 1,
(No. 1.) Sir,
Consul-General Willis to Sir J. Jordan,
Mukden, January 15, 1908.
MR. LO KUO JUI, the engineer appointed by the Board of Communications to survey the Chang Ch'un-Kirin Railway route in conjunction with a Japanese surveyor, arrived at Mukden with a staff of fifteen surveyors and clerks a few days ago.
The Japanese local newspaper has expressed repeatedly its satisfaction at this appointment.
Mr. Lo has not yet left Mukden—it would seem impossible that any survey work can be carried out under the present climatic conditions—but I am informed that Japanese surveyors have already marked out the line of route, and that a certain amount of material, chiefly sleepers obtained locally, have been collected.
The Japanese local paper of to-day's date publishes a telegram from Kirin, of which the following is a translation:——
"The Deliberative Board of Kirin, at the time of its inauguration, came to the conclusion that an Agreement with Japan for the joint construction of the Chang Ch'un line would be extremely prejudicial to local interests, and further that, whilst the joint construction scheme was being discussed in Peking, the then Governor-General, in conjunction with the local gentry, had represented this clearly to the Wai-wu Pu, who had promised that the construction of railways in Kirin Province should be undertaken by themselves. The Board now suggested that a Company should be formed for obtaining the funds for such enterprises.”
This telegram confirms various rumours that have reached me as to there being strong local feeling against the construction of this railway under the Agreement of the 15th April last.
I have, &c. (Signed)
R. WILLIS.
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