CO882-(6-8) — Page 22

سياسيا

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

6

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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a line would follow, for the distance of about 120 Chinese li, the proposed route of the Canton-Kowloon Railway, and His Excellency points out that as the Pre- liminary Agreement for the construction of the Canton-Kowloon Railway provides that the Final Agreement shall follow as far as practicable the terms of the Shanghai-Nanking Railway Agreement, and the latter agreement stipulates that no rival lines shall be constructed without the consent of the Director-General and the Corporation, the present Chinese scheme for building a line from Canton through Whampoa is a breach of the Preliminary Agreement of March 28th, 1899.

I find it difficult to understand, if Sir Matthew Nathan's information is correct, how the support of the Provincial Authorities to such a scheme can be reconciled with the understanding arrived at in Canton between the Viceroy's representatives and Mr. Bland, representing the British and Chinese Corporation. This under- standing, as communicated to me by Mr. Bland, was to the effect that His Excellency was prepared to agree to any arrangements which might be arrived at between the Chinese Government and the Corporation.

Mr. Bland thereupon came to Peking with the object of giving effect to this understanding, and I therefore have the honour to request Your Highness to urgently impress on His Excellency the Viceroy by telegraph that the construction of the Canton-Whampoa line by China herself is a breach of the Preliminary Agreement with the British and Chinese Corporation, and should not be further considered, and, secondly, to request Your Highness to obtain the Imperial Sanction for a negotiator to be appointed to discuss and determine in a friendly spirit with the Corporation's representative in Peking the Final Agreement for a line from Canton to the boundary of the Kowloon territory.

Further, as I have had the honour in my immediately preceding note of to-day's date to request that a negotiator may be appointed for the Soochow-Hangchow- Ningpo Railway Agreement, I would suggest, for Your Highness's consideration, the advisability of entrusting the arrangements for both Agreements to one negotiator for the sake of convenience and expedition.

Awaiting the honour of an early reply, I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Highness the assurance of my highest consideration.

L. D. CARNEGIE,

His Imperial Highness,

Prince Ch'ing,

&c.,

409

me privately that the Wai-wu Pu know nothing officially of the project. He had heard that proposal to build such a railway had been mooted by Chang (see Sir E. Satow's telegram No. 73, 18th April last year), but that other Canton Notables objected to him, and nothing was being done.

Kowloon line. I have kept pressing steadily for appointment of negotiator. At interview on 3rd July Wai-wu Pu alleged a discrepancy between the statements of Viceroy and Bland in regard to terms of transfer of negotiations to Peking, and said that Prince Ch'ing wished to refer negotiations back to Canton. I opposed this strongly, and insisted on appointment of promised negotiator here. Wai-wu Pu said that they would see Prince again.

This morning Tong informed me privately that a telegram was sent yesterday to Viceroy to clear up the discrepancy. He hoped to be able to give me a favourable reply to the request for a negotiator in a few days, but complained that Viceroy was using his great influence at Court to obstruct.

(Confidential.) (No. 125.)

Enclosure 2 in No. 266.

Sir EDWARD GREY to Mr. CARNEGIE (Peking). TELEGRAM.

Foreign Office, July 7, 1908. Your telegram No. 132 [of 5th July: Canton-Kowloon and Canton-Whampoa Railway].

Whampoa line. Tong's statement that he has no official information is not satisfactory. You might express the hope that inquiry will be made and provincial officials warned not to proceed with any scheme contrary to engagement entered into by Central Government.

Kowloon. Your refusal to refer negotiations back to Canton is approved.

21671

24800

(Confidential.)

&c., &c.

No. 266.

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received July 9, 1906.)

The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments Mr. Carnegie, Peking, No. 132, July 5,

to Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, 1906.

and is directed by the Secretary of State to transmit the accompanying copies of tele- grams, as marked in the margin, relative to

To Mr. Carnegie, Peking. No. 125, July 7, 1906.

the Canton-Kowloon and Canton-Whampoa Railways. Foreign Office,

July 9, 1906.

(Confidential.) (No. 132.)

Enclosure 1 in No. 266.

Mr. CARNEGIE to Sir EDWARD GREY. (Received July 5, 8 p.m.) TELEGRAM.

Peking, July 5, 1906, 3.40 p.m.

No official reply yet received about Whampoa. I have pressed Tong, who tells

(Confidential.)

SIR,

No. 267.

COLONIAL OFFICE to FOREIGN OFFICE. [Answered by No. 268.]

Downing Street, July 9, 1906. WITH reference to previous correspondence respecting the negotiations for the Canton-Kowloon Railway, I am directed by the Earl of Elgin to transmit to you, to be laid before Secretary Sir Edward Grey, copies of three further despatches* from the Governor of Hong Kong on the subject.

As Sir E. Grey is aware, the proposals of the Hong Kong Government and the British and Chinese Corporation for the construction of this line have now been before the Chinese Government for nearly a year, and no progress whatever has been made. From the papers now sent it would appear that the Chinese authorities are not merely delaying the consideration of the proposals, but are endeavouring to press forward a scheme for the construction of a railway to Swatow and Amoy which, if completed before the line from Canton to Kowloon, might prove highly detrimental to the interests of Hong Kong. Lord Elgin is glad to observe, from your note of the 19th May,† that Mr. Carnegie has already made a strongly-worded representation to the Chinese Government on the subject, and he trusts that it will be made quite clear to that Government that His Majesty's Government will not relax in their opposition to the Canton-Amoy project until full effect has been given to the Preliminary Agreement of the 28th March, 1899, with respect to the Canton- Kowloon line.

The question of taking further steps to overcome the obstructive attitude of the Chinese Government will doubtless receive Sir E. Grey's careful consideration,

• Nos. 259 to 261.

18885

† No. 252.

3 F