; {
railway material required would pass over the Chinese eastern railways, either from Vladivostock to Harbin, or from Kwang-Cheng-zie to Harbin.
The country lying between Taonanfu and Harbin is of exceptional richness and fertility, and a great proportion of the produce and cereals resulting from its being opened to cultivation, would certainly find their way, by means of the new railway to Harbin, and thence, by the Chinese eastern railways, be distributed either southwards via Kwang-Cheng-zie, or eastwards to Vladivostock, in both cases swelling the traffic returns of the Chinese eastern railways.
A glance at the map will show that to send produce from this portion of the country to Peking, and thence to the sea at Tientsin, would be a much longer traffic haul than to send it via Harbin, and that, therefore, a considerable portion of the new proposed line must act as a branch, or feeder line, to the Chinese eastern railways.
Again, also, the new proposed line from Tsitsihar to Mergun, or Aigun, would of course be simply a branch line to the Chinese eastern railways, and very considerably
increase its traffic returns.
Under these circumstances, and that the Russian Government can have no wish to hinder the real development of China, as long as such development does not conflict with the vested and proper interests of the Chinese eastern railways, the British contractors entertain the confident hope that His Imperial Majesty's Government will now see their way to give the notification requested.
April 21, 1911.
(This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[15201]
CO
15371
[April 24.]
SECTION 1.
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received April 24.)
(No. 145.) Sir,
Peking, March 31, 1911. I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith the copy of a note which I have addressed to the Chinese Government urging the opening of Pukou to foreign trade in the interests of the Tien-tsin-Pukou Railway, and of the community in general.
J. N. JORDAN,
I have, &c.
Enclosure in No. 1.
293
Your Highness,
Sir J. Jordan to Prince Ch'ing.
Pking, March 27, 1911.
I HAVE the honour to address your Highness on the subject of the advisability of opening the port of Pukou to foreign trade."
Seeing that the first section of the Tien-tsin-Pukon Railway has already been opened to traffic, and that the whole line will in all probability be completed before the end of next year, it appears to me that the time has arrived to make the necessary arrangements for the opening of Pukou to foreign trade. The business quarter of the new port would naturally be situated on the river bank in the neighbourhood of the railway station, and as all the land there would require raising several feet to be above flood level, the sooner the people are allowed to buy or lease lots and commence filling operations the better. Moreover, it is in the interest of all concerned that the conveniences offered by the railway should be utilised as promptly as possible, and the best means to this end is to facilitate the purchase of land by merchants, aud especially by the local shipping companies.
His Majesty's consul at Nanking has already spoken in the above sense to the Viceroy, but the latter replied to him that it was not intended to open Pukou as a treaty port, or even as a trade mart. The Viceroy explained that business with that side of the river would have to be done in the future as in the past from Hsiaknan, the foreign settlement of Nauking, which would be connected with Pukou by a ferry. He added that foreign merchants could, if they liked, rent land or warehouses temporarily on the Pukou side under the rights accorded to them under the inland navigation rules, but they would not be allowed to purchase land. This was the decision arrived at by the Board of Communications.
In my opinion under such conditions the Tien-tsin-Pukou Railway is hardly likely to be a profitable concern. Apart from the inconvenience to passengers of having to be ferried from and to the south side of the river instead of being landed or embarked directly at Pukou, the fact that there was no custom-house there would be a very serious hindrance to trade.
It is possible that the Viceroy of Nanking and the Board of Communications do not realise how very important a commercial centre Pukon would become if the development of trade by the railway were encouraged instead of being hindered by limitations of this kind." I would venture therefore to recommend strongly that the Chinese Government should reconsider the whole question in all its bearings, and announce their intention at an early date to open Pakou to foreign trade.
Awaiting the favour of an early reply, I avail, &c.
(1974 a)
-1]
J. N ORDAN.