COPY
6
CONFIDENTIAL.
MINUTE OF INTERVIEW WITH MR. T.K. TSENG (VICE-MINISTER OF
RAILWAYS IN NANKING ON FEBRUARY 26th, 1937.
LOOP-LINE TO LINK THE CANTON-KOWLOON RAILWAY WITH THE
CANTON-HANKOW RAILWAY.
The se
(At this interview the Canton-Meihsien Railway project, and
the Chuchow Railway Workshops were also mentioned.
questions are dealt with in separate minutes).
Mr. T.K. Tseng informed me that General Chiang Kai-shek
at a recent interview with Mr. Chang Kia-ngau had informed him
that he had promised the British that the loop-line to connect
the Canton-Kowloon Railway with the Canton-Hankow Railway would
be constructed. General Chiang Kai-shek had told Mr. Chang
Kia-ngau that this promise had to be redeemed and had instructed
him to take the necessary steps to make the link as soon as
possible. In doing so he was however to avoid wounding local
susceptibilities, and the work was to be carried out in such a
way that it was not to appear as if it were done in execution of
instructions issued by General Chiang Kai-shek himself.
Mr. Chang Kia-ngau had accordingly decided that the
Whampoa Branch line would not cross the Canton-Kowloon line by
an overhead bridge as was planned at present, but by a level
crossing. This level crossing would be constructed in such a
way that it would be turned into an effective link with the
Canton-Kowloon line at any moment. When the construction of the
Whampoa Branch Line was completed the first suitable opportunity
would be taken to carry out the instructions of the
Generalissimo.
Mr. Tseng said he had yet had no instructions to pass
on this information, and he therefore asked me to treat it as
strictly confidential until Mr. Chang Kia-ngau informed me
himself of these developments.
He knew, however, of the
importance
Page
7 END
importance which British interests attached to this loop-line,
and the personal interest taken in the question by
Sir F. Leith-Ross. It was for these reasons that he gave me
this information on a personal basis as easly as possible.
I thanked Mr. Tseng for his kindness in passing on
this good news so promptly, and said that I appreciated the
conditions under which it was given. I hoped it would be
possible for Mr. Chang Kia-ngau to inform the British Embassy
officially of this development at an early date, as I was sure
it would greatly facilitate future negotiations for possible
British participation in railway development in South China.
(Sgd.) E.L. HALL-PATCH.
NANKING.
26th February, 1937.