COPY
(F 7476/30/10)
CHINA TELEGRAFHS
14-
Chinese telegraph line in British territory and telegraph
office at Hong kong.
In 1870, China then being without telegraphs of any
sort, two European companies, the Great Northern Telegraph
Company of Copenhagen (Danish) and the Eastern Extersion
Australasia and Chinese Telegraph Company Limited, (British)
were in competition for the introduction into China of a
telegraph service which should connect the Chinese seaports
with Europe. The Danish Company's project being the further
advanced, an agreement was reached between the two companies
that the Danish Company should carry out the whole of the
programme for connecting the seaports while the British
company should not extend their lines beyond Hong Kong.
the other hand a cable to be laid by the Great Northern
Company connecting Hong Kong and Shanghai was to be
considered a joint cable, the net revenues from the working
of which should be divided between the companies.
On
Realization of the value of the telegraph came but
slowly to the Chinese, and it was not until 1880 that the
Chinese Government, under political pressure, decided to
introduce a telegraph system into the interior of the Empire.
The work was carried out by the Great Northern Company
and the service rendered by them and the Eastern Extension
Company
D
..