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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TLC.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and is directed by the Secretary of State to transmit the accompanying copy of a telegram from Sir J. Jordan, Peking.

Foreign Office,

September 21, 1906.

(Confidential.) (No. 172.)

Enclosure in No. 289.

Sir J. JORDAN to Sir EDWARD GREY.

(Received September 18, 4.30 p.m.)

Peking, September 18, 1906, 5.55 p.m. Negotiations for Whampoa Railway. At the interview of 8th September, referred to in Mr. Carnegie's telegram, No. 166 [of 10th September], Ch'ing declined to admit this scheme had anything to do with Canton-Kowloon line, and turned a deaf ear to all arguments to the contrary.

I addressed to His Highness a note yesterday, with map based on an official Proclamation of Viceroy recently received from Canton, which clearly demonstrates that the Chinese project must for about 40 miles be a rival line, and is therefore a contravention of Corporation's agreements. I requested His Highness either to nove Viceroy to abandon project, or to accord me an interview for the purpose of pressing the views of His Majesty's Government.

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No. 290.⚫

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received September 24, 1906.)

The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and, by direction of the Secretary of State, transmits herewith copy of the under-mentioned paper.

Foreign Office,

September 22, 1906.

REFERENCE TO PREVIOUS LETTER.

Colonial Office, No. 31958, September 4.*

DESCRIPTION OF ENCLOSURE.

Name and Date.

Bubject.

Mr. Carnegie, Peking, No. 314 (Coufidential), | Canton-Kowloon Railway.

July 23.

SIR,

(No. 314. Confidential.)

Enclosure in No. 290.

Peking, July 23, 1908. WITH reference to my despatch, No. 227, of May 15 last, containing copy of a note addressed to Prince Ch'ing in which I requested His Highness to impress

L.F. transmitting a copy of No. 279.

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on the Viceroy of Canton that the construction of a line from Canton through Whampoa would constitute a breach of the preliminary agreement with the British and Chinese Corporation for the railway from Canton to Kowloon, and urged the appointment of a negotiator to discuss a final agreement in regard to the latter line with a representative of the Corporation, I have the honour to inform you that as I received no reply to my note I had several interviews with the Wai Wu Pu at which I pressed them for an answer. I was informed on each occasion that the matter was under the consideration of the Prince, who would be again consulted. As I had the honour to report in my telegram, No. 116, of May 30th, His Highness's view was that the Soochow-Hangchow and Canton-Kowloon lines could not be negotiated together and that the former should be taken first as it offered less local difficulty. On June 13th Mr. T'ong Shoa-Yi stated that, if the question of the former line might stand over, a negotiator would be appointed for the other. In view of the opinion contained in your telegram, No. 112, of June 8th, I expressed my acquiescence in this arrangement, and my hopes for an early settlement of the matter. As I was still without a reply when I received your telegram, No. 120, of July 3rd, I again went to the Wai Wu Pu and urged them to give me one without any further delay. Mr. Tong was requested by the Grand Secretary Na to speak in the name of the Board. His Excellency then said that he had been told by Prince Ch'ing to inform me that the Canton-Kowloon Railway, being a local matter, of which the conditions were best known to the people of Canton, the negotiations should be referred there. I expressed my surprise at this announcement, to which I strongly objected. These negotiations had been transferred to Peking after long and fruitless discussions in Canton, and the Chinese Government had on several occasions stated that they would appoint a negotiator here. His Majesty's Govern- ment had been informed of this arrangement and they would regard the present proposal as a breach of faith. I added that I always wished to conduct all business with the Wai Wu Pu in an amicable manner, but that if this proposal was per- sisted in, I should be placed in a very awkward position.

Mr. Tong said that the difficulty had arisen owing to a misunderstanding as to the terms of the transference of the negotiations from Canton to Peking. According to a telegram received from the Viceroy Mr. Bland had approved certain bases which had been put before him and had said that he would' negotiate on them at Peking. Mr. Bland, on the other hand, averred that what he had approved was the transference of the negotiations to Peking, not the bases submitted to him.

I rejoined that the Wai Wu Pu knew for the past month and more that all

I was waiting for was the appointment of a negotiator by Prince Ch'ing, and that I could not comprehend why the question of the misunderstanding had not been raised long ago.

It was not possible to start it now with any show of reason. After some further discussion Mr. T'ong promised to see the Prince and discuss it with him again.

I asked Mr. Campbell to go and see Mr. Tong and talk matters over with him privately. Mr. Tong stated that the Wai Wu Pu knew nothing officially about the Whampoa scheme which had been mooted by one Chang, a Singapore merchant. The Canton notables objected to him and nothing was being done. He appeared to attach no importance to the project. In regard to the Canton-Kowloon Railway a telegram had been sent to the Viceroy in order to clear up the misunderstanding, and it was hoped that a favourable reply to my request for a negotiator would be sent in a short time. Mr. Tong complained that the Viceroy was using his great influence at Court to obstruct and he begged for a little patience on our side. I had the honour to report my interview with the Wai Wu Pu and Mr. Tong's remarks to Mr. Campbell in my telegram, No. 132, confidential, of the 5th instant.

On June 16th I received a private letter from Mr. Tong stating that the Chinese Government had decided that the Wai Wu Pu, together with a deputy from Canton, should carry on the negotiations for the Canton-Kowloon Railway with a representa- tive of the British and Chinese Corporation, and that as soon as the deputy arrived they would be ready to begin. In acknowledging the receipt of this letter I told His Excellency that I was addressing a note, copy of which I have the honour to inclose, to the Wai Wu Pu again pressing for a negotiator and asking for some assurance in regard to the Whampoa scheme in order to have the information he had given me in an official form. The following day I received a note from the Wai Wu Pu, translation inclosed, to the same effect as Mr. Tong's private letter.

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