442
1 immediately communicated its contents to the British and Chinese Corporation at Shanghai, as Mr. Bland is absent from Peking just now, and despatched my telegram to you, No. 139, of July 18th. Although my note of the previous day must have been received prior to the despatch of their note, the Wai Wu Pu made no reference to it nor to the question of Whampoa, but in regard to the latter Mr. Tong wrote again to me privately and said that when the deputy from Canton arrived the question could be discussed. I thought it as well, however, to mention the matter to the Wai Wu Pu last Friday. I was told that they had no news but would make inquiries. I was also informed that two deputies were coming from Canton for the railway negotiations.
In regard to the Whampoa scheme my first inquiry on the subject, contained in the note inclosed in my despatch, No. 227, was addressed to the Wai Wu Pu in consequence of a telegram from the Governor of Hong Kong, who stated that, from articles in the Press and from other information, he was satisfied that serious steps were being taken to carry out the project. His Excellency's despatch on the same subject arrived soon afterwards, but mentioned newspaper extracts only. When, therefore, Mr. Tong, at his private interview with Mr. Campbell, stated that he attached little or no importance to these rumours, I thought it well to address a despatch to Sir Matthew Nathan, of which I inclose copy, requesting His Excellency to be good enough to furnish me with the nature of the information to which he alluded in his telegram.
I have also requested His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton to at once inform Sir Matthew Nathan and myself should he have any reason to believe that the Whampoa scheme is likely to take any practical shape.
I am sending a copy of this despatch to the Governor of Hong Kong.
I have, &c.,
L. D. CARNEGIE.
143
When this officer arrives we shall not fail to inform you. In the meantime we have the honour to request you to communicate this information to the Corporation for their guidance.
(Confidential.)
SIR,
We avail, &c.
(Cards of Prince Ch'ing and Ministers of the Wai Wu Pu).
Mr. CARNEGIE to Sir MATTHEW NATHAN.
Peking, July 7, 1906. WITH reference to Your Excellency's despatch, secret, of May 10th, and your telegram of May 11th on the subject of a proposed railway connecting Canton with Whampoa, I have the honour to state that according to my information this project was mooted by the Chang, referred to in Sir E. Satow's telegram of April 18th, 1905, to Lord Lansdowne, but that the Cantonese gentry objected to his having any- thing to do with it, and that nothing has been done. I am assured that the Chinese Government know nothing officially about it. Your Excellency's despatch of May 10th mentions newspaper articles only, but in your telegram of May 11th you refer to other information which would indicate that serious steps were being taken in the matter. It would be some assistance to me if Your Excellency would be so good as to inform me of the nature of this information.
I am communicating a copy of this despatch to His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton.
Sir Matthew Nathan, K.C.M.G.,
&c., &c., &c.
I have, &c.,
L. D. CARNEGIE.
35265
No. 291.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
LUC.O. 882
YOUR HIGHNESS,
Mr. CARNEGIE to the WAI WU PU.
Peking, July 16, 1906. WITH reference to the question of appointing a negotiator to discuss the final agreement for the Canton-Kowloon Railway with the representative of the British and Chinese Corporation, which has formed the subject of frequent con- versations between us, I have the honour to draw attention to the fact that I have not yet received an intimation of the Board's views on this matter and I shall be glad if I may be favoured with their decision.
In view also of telegraphic enquiries from His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs respecting the Chinese project of building a railway from Canton to Whampoa, which would be an infraction of the preliminary agreement with the British and Chinese Corporation, I have the honour to request that I may be informed whether the Chinese Government has directed the Viceroy at Canton to consider this project no further.
GOVERNOR SIR M. NATHAN to THE EARL OF ELGIN. (Received September 24, 1906.)
(Secret.)
MY LORD,
Government House, Hong Kong, August 21, 1906.
IN continuation of my secret despatch of 9th August, 1906,* dealing with a Chinese project to connect Whampoa with Canton by railway, I have the honour to transmit for your Lordship's information, a copy of a despatch (with enclosures, except Chinese newspapers and Proclamation) which I have addressed to His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Peking.
2. I take this opportunity of acknowledging the receipt to-day of your Lord- ship's secret despatch of the 23rd and confidential despatch of the 27th July,t cover- ing copies of correspondence with the Foreign Office on the subject, inter alia, of this Railway.
I have, &c.,
M. NATHAN,
Governor.
The Right Honourable
Sir Edward Grey, Bart.,
&c., &c.. &c.
6
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
SIR,
(Translation.)
(K.H. 32/20/5.)
T
I avail, &c.,
L. D. CARNEGIE.
SIR,
July 17, 1906.
We have the honour to inform you, with regard to the Canton-Kowloon Rail- way Agreement, that this Board have notified the Viceroy at Canton by telegraph that it would be negotiated by the Board and the British and Chinese Corporation's representative, together with a representative of the province to be sent to Peking as adviser.
Enclosure in No. 291.
Government House, Hong Kong, August 21, 1906.
IN continuation of my secret despatch of the 27th July, dealing with a Chinese project to connect Canton with Whampoa by a railway, I have the honour to enclose
a
copy of a report, furnished me by the Detective Officer of this Colony with regard to a foreign engineer being now employed on this Railway.
2. I also enclose copies of the issues of the "Shiu Nin Po" and of the "Wai San Yat Po" newspapers of the 29th July and 14th August respectively, together with translations of articles in these papers on the same subject.
• No. 281.
18885
† L.F.F.
Nos. 265 and 268.
3 K 2