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the company, let the proof be produced and he will be immediately dismissed and replaced by another man appointed by the shareholders. But for small faults the company's interests should not be neglected. This is a joint petition sent by the signatories for your personal consideration, and they hope you will see your way to abolish this superintending bureau, and the whole province will be grateful to you for ever."
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government 1011
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
598
C.0.
RECR R2G9 24 JUN 09
[May 29.]
SECTION 2.
[20214]
No. 1.
Inclosure 4 in No. 1.
Extract from the "Hong Kong Daily Press" of March 15, 1909,
CANTON - HANKOW RAILWAY.
Triumph of the Shareholders.
IT is reported in well informed circles at Canton that Taotai Wong Ping Yen. who was recently appointed superintendent of the affairs of the Canton-Hankow Railway in Canton, is transferred to Yeh Hoi as taotal of that city.
This is the outcome of the petition recently wired by the seventy-two trade guilds and the charitable institutions to the Central Government protesting against Chang Chih Tung's appointment of an official to control railway affairs. The situation was a very delicate one, and Chang Chih Tung has found a neat solution to the difficulty in appointing Wong Ping Yen to another post. This is a decided victory for the shareholders of the Canton-Hankow Railway Company, who are resolutely determined not to submit to any undue interference on the part of the Government. Their position has been strengthened, and it is very unlikely that the Government will make any further move in this direction. The Government bureau which was recently established at Canton with the object of superintending the construction of the Kwangtung section of the railway (although still in existence in name) may be considered to have been practically abolished. Viceroy Cheng has cabled to Peking requesting that permission be given to detain Taotai Wong Ping Yen in Canton to perform other important public functions. This is a characteristic way of "saving face."
0
Sir,
Mr. C. S. Addis to Foreign Office.--(Received May 29.)
Hong Kong and Shanghae Banking Corporation,
31, Lombard Street, London, May 29, 1909.
I HAVE the honour to enclose six copies of the signed minutes of the meeting held at Berlin on the 15th instant, between delegates of the English, German, and French groups connected with the Hankow-Canton and Hankow-Szechuan Railways, in which the reservation made by the British delegate with regard to the degree of British Government support to be accorded to his group will be found officially recorded.
Inclosure in No. 1.
I am, &c.
C. S. ADDIS.
Hankow-Canton and Hankow-Chengtu Railway Loan Negotiations.
Minutes of a Meeting at the Office of the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank, May 14 and (continued on) May 15, 1909.
M. Urbig,
M. Erich,
M. Rehders,
Present:
representing the German group.
Mr. C. S. Addis,representing the British group. M. Carl Meyer, f
M. S. Simon.representing the French group. M. Ullmann, f
M. Urbig in the Chair.
THE minutes of the proceedings at the meeting of the 13th May were read and approved.
The following documents were agreed upon and signed by the representatives of the parties thereto subject to ratification by their respective principals.
1. Hankow-Canton and Hankow Chengtu Railway.-Memorandum of terms of agreement came to at a mectin at the offices of the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank, Berlin, on the 14th May, 1909.
2. Honkow-Chengtu Railway-Heads of agreement made the 14th May, 1909, between Chinese Central Railways (Limited), and the Banque de l'Indo-Chine repre- senting the French group.
3. Hankow-Chengtu Kailway.-Letter of Deutsch-Asiatische Bank to Chinese Central Railways (Limited), the 15th May, 1909.
The preparation and conclusion of the general agreements contemplated in clauses 8 and 9 of the above-named No. 1 agreement were discussed, and it being considered that these agreements could be dealt with by correspondence, it was arranged that the British and Chinese Corporation and the Hong Kong and Shanghae Banking Corportion would submit drafts to the several groups as quickly as possible. With the object of preventing any misconception, Mr. Addis stated that although the British group were receiving the exclusive support of the British Government in regard to the business concerning which an understanding between the groups bad
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