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The Canton-Kowloon Railway negotiations were proceeding
at this time and the Hong Kong Government was prevailed
upon to await the result of those negotiations rather than
disturb them by the friction which would probably follow
any action on the lines he proposed.
The matter was next revived in 1908 as the result of an
intimation received in Hong Kong that the Chinese Government
were intending to redeem the shares held by the private
holders in the Chinese Telegraph Administration with a view
to incorporating this system in the Imperial Government
Telegraphs. The view was held at Hong Kong that the owning
and working of a telegraph line and terminus within British
territory by a foreign government was open to such serious
objection that diplomatic action should be taken to secure
the removal of the Chinese terminal office to the frontier
when other arrangements could be made for the working of
the section of the line within the colony.
His Majesty's Minister at reking to whom the matter
was referred, approached the Chinese Government through
Mr. Dresing the foreign adviser to the Chinese Telegraph
Administration, who while expressing his appreciation of
the objections to the maintenance in British territory of
a foreign telegraph line and the existence of a Chine se
Government telegraph station at Hong Kong strongly
deprecated any disturbance of the existing arrangements.
He feared that any alteration would raise the question of
the rights of the companies at Woosung and Sharp Peak and
would..