[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
144
[January 29.]
SECTION 2.
Sir,
China Association to Foreign Office.--(Received January 29.)
159, Cannon Street, London, January 28, 1904.
BY section 12 of Article VIII of the Treaty of Shanghae, signed on the 5th September, 1902, the Chinese Government agreed to open to foreign trade, amongst other places, the city of Waichow (Hui-chon-fu) in Kuang Tung, when this Article comes into force.
I have the honour to forward you a copy of a letter from the Hong Kong branch of the China Association, which contains some interesting information about Waichow, and gives reasons for asking that the opening of Waichow to British trade should not be deferred until the doubtful period of the general acceptance by the Treaty Powers of the provisions of Article VIII.
This Committee desire to express their agreement with the opinions and wishes of the Hong Kong branch, and trust that they will receive the favourable consideration of His Majesty's Government.
I may mention that a copy of the letter from the Hong Kong branch has been forwarded to the British and Chinese Corporation, which is interested in the Kowloon-Canton Railway, and its contents will be considered at the next Directors' meeting.
I have, &c. (Signed) JOSEPH WELCH,
Honorary Secretary.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Mr. R. C. Wilcox to Mr. J. Welch,
Dear Sir,
Hong Kong, December 12, 1903.
REFERRING to my letter of the 4th instant, on the question of the opening of Waichow to foreign trade as a Treaty port, I now beg to lay the views of my Committee thereon before you at length.
Some particulars concerning this large and populous city may not be out of place. It is situated on the East River, directly north of the new territory or Kowloon hinterland, and is connected with the shores of Mirs Bay by (for China) a good and fairly straight footpath through a country free from natural obstacles. The Waichow Prefecture contains an industrious and flourishing population, and the soil is rich and productive. A tributary of the East River divides the city from another busy town called Kweishin. Waichow is not accessible by water, except by small native craft, the East River at that point being swift and shallow. At present, therefore, the communication with this thriving and populous district is circuitous and tedious. Its value to Hong Kong would be very great if brought within easy access, as it would lead to a development of trade and a probable increase in the labour supply of the Colony, a matter of some moment.
It is, therefore, eminently desirable that the opening of Waichow to British trade should not be deferred until the doubtful period of the general acceptance by the Treaty Powers of the provisions of Article VIII of the Mackay Treaty; and the Committee will be glad if you will be good enough to represent to the Foreign Office the importance to the Colony of Hong Kong and to British trade of pressing the Chinese Government to agree to this stipulation of the Treaty being carried into effect simultaneously with the opening of Kongmoon.
Inseparably connected with this question of the opening of Waichow to foreign trade, as I hope presently to show, is the larger and more important one of the immediate construction of the long projected Kowloon-Canton Railway. It is universally felt in this Colony and by all the British residents in Canton that it is of the highest importance to British interests that this line should be completed before the Hankow-Canton section of the great trunk railway of China is constructed. The latter is now being actively prosecuted by the American-Belgian Syndicate, to whom the Concession was granted; but up to the present moment the British Syndicate, who obtained the right to continue the line from Canton to Kowloon, have given no sign of activity in connection therewith.
[1827 (~2]
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.],
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
144
[January 29.]
SECTION 2.
Sir,
China Association to Foreign Office.--(Received January 29.)|
159, Cannon Street, London, January 28, 1904.
BY section 12 of Article VIII of the Treaty of Shanghae, signed on the 5th September, 1902, the Chinese Government agreed to open to foreign trade, amongst other places, the city of Waichow (Hui-chon-fu) in Kuang Tung, when this Article comes into force.
I have the honour to forward you a copy of a letter frou the Hong Kong branch of the China Association, which contains some interesting information about Waichow, and gives reasons for asking that the opening of Waichow to British trade should not be deferred until the doubtful period of the general acceptance by the Treaty Powers of the provisions of Article VIII"
This Committee desire to express their agreement with the opinions and wishes of the Hong Kong branch, and trust that they will receive the favourable consideration of His Majesty's Government.
I may mention that a copy of the letter from the Hong Kong branch has been forwarded to the British and Chinese Corporation, which is interested in the Kowloon- Canton Railway, and its contents will be considered at the next Directors' meeting.
I have, &c. (Signed) JOSEPH WELCH,
Honorary Secretary.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Mr. R. C. Wilcox to Mr. J. Welch,
Dear Sir,
Hong Kong, December 12, 1903. REFERRING to my letter of the 4th instant, on the question of the opening of Waichow to foreign trade as a Treaty port, I now beg to lay the views of my Committee thereon before you at length.
Some particulars concerning this large and populous city may not be out of place. It is situated on the East River, directly north of the new territory or Kowloon hinterland, and is connected with the shores of Mirs Bay by (for China) a good and fairly straight footpath through a country free from natural obstacles. The Waichiow Prefecture contains an industrious and flourishing population, and the soil is rich and prodnctive. A tributary of the East River divides the city from another busy town called Kweishin. Walchow is not accessible by water, except by small native craft, the East River at that point being swift and shallow. At present, therefore, the communication with this thriving and populous district is circuitous and tedious. Its value to Hong Kong would be very great if brought within casy access, asit would lead to a development of trade and a probable increase in the labour supply of the Colony, matter of some moment.
It is, therefore, eminently desirable that the opening of Waichow to British trade should not be deferred until the doubtful period of the general acceptance by the Treaty Powers of the provisions of Article VIII of the Mackay Treaty; and the Committee will be glad if you will be good enough to represent to the Foreign Office the importance to the Colony of Hong Kong and to British trade of pressing the Chinese Government to agree to this stipulation of the Treaty being carried into effect simultaneously with the opening of Kongmoon.
Inseparably connected with this question of the opening of Waichow to foreign trade, a5 I hope presently to show, is the larger and more important one of the immediate construc- tion of the long projected Kowloon-Canton Railway. It is universally felt in this Colony and by all the British residents in Canton that it is of the highest importance to British interests that this line should be completed before the Hankow-Canton section of the great trunk railway of China is constructed. The latter is now being actively prosecuted by the American-Belgian Syndicate, to whom the Concession was granted; but up to the present moment the British Syndicate, who obtained the right to continue the line from Canton to Kowloon, have given no sign of activity in connection therewith.
[1827 (~2]
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