Enclosure No. 3 in Mr. Fraser's Semi-Official of October 12th, 1908.
Copy.
Draft of Telegraphic Reply to CHANG CHIH-TUNG, Oct: 11/08.
Your Excellency's telegram of 10th instant received today. At an interview with Vice-President Liang yesterday I learned your views, and Sir John Jordan had by telegraph instructed me that Mr. Bland, now on his way from England, would certainly on arrival at Peking discuss this loan with Your Excellency. Your Excellency will remember that last year Mr. Bland visited Hankow and was received by you. His knowledge of Chinese and long residence in China will, I hope, serve to render him in your opinion a trustworthy and intelligent agent.
Mr. Moore's qualifications are by no means confined to waterworks engineering; his ability and learning are equally excellent and his experience thorough, but his special engagement by the Hupeh Government is a difficulty, while Rose is busy on the line northwards from Chu-Chou.
To find an engineer competent for the important work Your Excellency indicates is no easy task. Being an outsider as regards this special science, I could not hastily make a recommendation. But I recollect that when Your Excellency enquired of the well-known Mr. Kinder, the reply was that Mr. Bourne appeared equal to the post of Engineer-in-Chief in China. Apart from him there are one or two of Mr. Kinder's senior assistants who might be promoted.
There is, however, a further consideration which I would lay before Your Excellency. If the British and Chinese Corporation at your wish undertake this loan, it would surely not be unreasonable for the Corporation to ask...
Page 515
was removed as not absolutely necessary. However, as per the instructions, the output is revised to include
only if absolutely necessary. In this case, it is not necessary. The final output is:
Enclosure No. 3 in Mr. Fraser's Semi-Official of October 12th, 1908.
Copy.
Draft of Telegraphic Reply to CHANG CHIH-TUNG, Oct: 11/08.
Your Excellency's telegram of 10th instant received today. At an interview with Vice-President Liang yesterday I learned your views, and Sir John Jordan had by telegraph instructed me that Mr. Bland, now on his way from England, would certainly on arrival at Peking discuss this loan with Your Excellency. Your Excellency will remember that last year Mr. Bland visited Hankow and was received by you. His knowledge of Chinese and long residence in China will, I hope, serve to render him in your opinion a trustworthy and intelligent agent.
Mr. Moore's qualifications are by no means confined to waterworks engineering; his ability and learning are equally excellent and his experience thorough, but his special engagement by the Hupeh Government is a difficulty, while Rose is busy on the line northwards from Chu-Chou.
To find an engineer competent for the important work Your Excellency indicates is no easy task. Being an outsider as regards this special science, I could not hastily make a recommendation. But I recollect that when Your Excellency enquired of the well-known Mr. Kinder, the reply was that Mr. Bourne appeared equal to the post of Engineer-in-Chief in China. Apart from him there are one or two of Mr. Kinder's senior assistants who might be promoted.
There is, however, a further consideration which I would lay before Your Excellency. If the British and Chinese Corporation at your wish undertake this loan, it would surely not be unreasonable for the Corporation to ask...
Page 515