2
Minister for France at Peking and the Wai-wa Pu. Practically, however, it could be demanded to-morrow, and would, in all probability, be assented to by the Chinese Government, central and provincial, before we could effectively protest against it, even possibly before the fact of the demand had come to our knowledge.
The Anglo-French Agreement of the 15th January, 1896, by which England and France are reciprocally forbidden to gain any exclusive advantage, privilege, or monopoly of any sort in the Provinces of Yunnan and Szechuan, “seems to have been interpreted by France as only to be used for the purposes of obstructing any British application for commercial development by British Companies." ("Military Report on Szechuan," p. 85.) It would certainly not be considered by the French as giving us a right to protest against the extension of their railway from Yunnan-fu to Tali.
If it be objected that it would at any rate prevent the French from protesting against the construction of a British line from Tali to Yunnan-fu, I would reply that there is no room there for rival lines. It is almost certain, indeed, that there is physically no room. If the railway follows the high road, as it probably must, there is at least one section where the construction of a double line would be all but impossible. I refer to the "narrow valley between Ta-shao Tang and Ying-wu Kuan on the stage between Tien-shen Tang and Sha-chiao (route 70, stage 8" Military Report on Yunnan, p. 179).
I feel then, that it is of the utmost importance that we should forestall the French in securing the concession for the Tali-Yunnan-fu Railway. I am not advocating the immediate construction of this line; development could wait, if necessary, for many years.
The concession for a railway from the frontier of Tonquin to Yunnan-fu was made in the first instance to the French Government, by whom it was subsequently transferred to the "Compagnie Française des Chemins de fer de l'Indo-Chine et du Yünnan." His Majesty's Government would therefore have an inexpugnable precedent should they decide to make a similar demand for a line from the frontier of Burma to this city.
In July 1898 the Yunnan Company (Limited) (a British Corporation) wrote to the Foreign Office stating that the Company had been formed "for the purpose, among others, of surveying and, if found practicable, afterwards arranging for the construction of a road or railway and telegraph line from the terminus of the Burma railways at Kunlong, or wherever on the frontier the terminus may be located, through Yunnan and Szechuan to the Yang-tsze," and asking for "assistance in getting a concession from the Chinese Government for the purpose." The Yunnan Company has not, I understand, been dissolved; and if it be considered inexpedient that His Majesty's Government should, as the French Government did, demand a Railway Concession for themselves, it is not improbable that the Yunnan Company would, if encouraged to do so, renew their application.
I would again respectfully urge that no time should be lost in securing this concession, which, once secured, we can develop at our leisure. It might be that on a more careful survey of the ground it would be seen that the physical obstacles to a railway from Kunlong to Yunnan-fu are insurmountable; in that case we should have lost nothing but the cost of the survey. But if the survey showed, as it probably would, that the obstacles are surmountable, what benefit would that be to us if the French had already obtained rights over the eastern part of the line?
In short, I cannot but regard the acquisition of this concession as a necessary preliminary to the "detailed examination of the country between the Salween and Mekong," advocated by Mr. Brodrick in his despatch to the Indian Government of the 18th December last (inclosed in your despatch No. 4 of the 7th April). Except that I would venture to substitute "will" for "may," I cannot put the danger more forcibly forward than it has been put by the Secretary of State for India in this same despatch:
"If the idea prevails that the Indian Government and British capitalists are indifferent to their potential rights, those rights may be jeopardized. The field left open to others may be monopolized to the detriment of the interests of Burma, whether commercial or political.”
I have, &c.
(Signed) W. H. WILKINSON.
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
SOUTH-WEST CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[October 10.]
SECTION 1.
593
Sir E. Satow to the Marquess of Lansdowne.---(Received October 10.)
(No. 313.) My Lord,
Peking. August 24, 1904. IN continuation of my despatch No. 293 of the 13th instant, I have the honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith a copy of a further despatch which I have received from the British Acting Consul at Wuchow, on the subject of the disturbances in the Province of Kuangsi.
I have, &c. (Signed)
ERNEST SATOW.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Acting Consul Fox to Sir E. Satow.
(No. 15.) Sir,
Wuchow, August 2, 1904. IN continuation of my despatch No. 14 of the 25th ultimo, I have the honour to report that the Viceroy, travelling via Newchwang, Yungan, and Pinglo, arrived at Kueilin on the night of Sunday, the 31st ultimo. No telegraphic news has been received from the disturbed districts during the last week, but from a letter written by the Rev. Lewis Byrde at Kueilin on 16th ultimo, I learn that all immediate danger of the rebels attacking the capital has passed. Refugees from the surrounding country, who had flocked into the city in large numbers, had begun to return to their homes, popular fears having been allayed by the arrival of troops from Hunan and the news of the Viceroy's coming. The rebels were still said to be in the occupation of the Yung Ning and Yi Ning districts, but they had no competent leaders, and were incapable of offering any organized resistance to the Imperial troops, once the latter were able to attack in force.
From Kuichow I hear that attempts by various large bands of brigands to retreat into that province have been frustrated by the energetic action of the Governor, Li Ching-hsi, who has drawn a cordon of troops along the Kuangsi border. Li Ching-hsi, who is Governor designate of Kuangsi, left Kueiyang en route for Shanghai via Hunan on the 20th ultimo. He will, it is reported, come south by sea, and proceed up the West River, probably as far as Nanning.
(2216 -1)
(Signed)
I have, &c.
HARRY H. FOX.
2
Minister for France at Peking and the Wai-wa Pu. Practically, however, it could be demanded to-morrow, and would, in all probability, be assented to by the Chinese Government, central and provincial, before we could effectively protest against it, even possibly before the fact of the demand had come to our knowledge.
The Anglo-French Agreement of the 15th January, 1996, by which England and France are reciprocally forbidden to gain any exclusive advantage, privilege, or monopoly of any sort in the Provinces of Yunnan and Szechuan, “seems to have been interpreted by France as only to be used for the purposes of obstructing auy British application for commercial development by British Companies." ("Military Report on Szechuan," p. 85.) It would certainly not be considered by the French as giving us a right to protest against the extension of their railway from Yunnan-fu to Tali.
If it he objected that it would at any rate prevent the French from protesting against the construction of a British line from Tali to Yunnan-fu, I would reply that there is no room there for rival lines. It is almost certain, indeed, that there is physically no room. If the railway follows the high road, as it probably must, there is at least one section where the construction of a double line would be all but impossible. I refer to the "narrow valley between Ta-shao Tang and Ying-wu Kuan on the stage between Tien-shen Tang and Sha-chino (route 70, stage 8" Mitary Report on Yunan, p. 179).
I feel then, that it is of the utmost importance that we should forestall the French in securing the concession for the Tali-Yuunan-fu Railway. I am not advocating the immediate construction of this line; development could wait, if necessary, for many years.
The concession for a railway from the frontier of Tonquin to Yunnan-fu was made in the first instance to the French Government, by whom it was subsequently transferred to the "Compagnie Française des Chemins de fer de l'Indo-Chine et du Yünnan." His Majesty's Government would therefore have an inexpugnable precedent should they decide to make a similar demand for a line from the frontier of Barmah to this city.
In July 1898 the Yunnan Company (Limited) (a British Corporation) wrote to the Foreign Office stating that the Company had been formed "for the purpose, among others, of surveying and, if found practicable, afterwards arranging for the construction of a road or railway and telegraph line from the terminas of the Burmah railways at Kunlong, or wherever on the frontier the terminus may be located, through Yunnan and Szechuan to the Yang-tsze," and asking for "assistance in getting a concession from the Chinese Government for the purpose." The Yünnau Company has not, I understand, been dissolved; and if it be considered inexpedient that His Majesty's Goverment should, as the French Government did, demand a Railway Concession for themselves, it is not improbable that the Yunnan Company would, if encouraged to do so, renew their application.
I would again respectfully urge that no time should be lost in securing this concession, which, once secured, we can develop at our leisure. It might be that on a more careful survey of the ground it would be seen that the physical obstacles to a railway from Kunlong to Yünnan-fu are insurmountable; in that case we should have lost nothing but the cost of the survey. But if the survey showed, as it probably would, that the obstacles are surmountable, what benefit would that be to us if the French had already obtained rights over the eastern part of the line?
In short, I cannot but regard the acquisition of this concession as a necessary preliminary to the "detailed examination of the country between the Salween and Mekong," advocated by Mr. Brodrick in his despatch to the Indian Government of the 18th December last (inclosed in your despatch No. 4 of the 7th April). Except that I would venture to substitute "will" for "may," I cannot put the danger more forcibly forward than it has been put by the Secretary of State for India in this same despatch:
"If the idea prevails that the Indian Government and British capitalists are indifferent to their potential rights, those rights may be jeopardized. The field left open to others may be monopolized to the detriment of the interests of Burmalt, whether commercial or political.”
I have, &c.
(Signed) W. H. WILKINSON.
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
SOUTH-WEST CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[October 10.]
SECTION 1.
593
Sir E. Satow to the Marquess of Lunsdowne.---(Received October 10.)
(No. 313.) My Lord,
Peking. August 24, 1904. IN continuation of my despatch No. 293 of the 13th instant, I have the honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith a copy of a further despatch which I have received from the British Acting Consul at Wuchow, on the subject of the disturbances in the Province of Kuangsi.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Inclosure in No. 1.
Acting Consul Fox to Sir E. Satow.
ERNEST SATOW.
(No. 15.) Sir,
Wuchow, August 2, 1904. IN continuation of my despatch No. 14 of the 25th ultimo, I have the honour to report that the Viceroy, travelling via Newchwang. Yungan, and Pinglo, arrived at Kaeilin on the night of Sunday, the 31st ultimo. No telegraphic news has been received from the disturbed districts during the last week, but from a letter written by the Rev. Lewis Byrde at Kueilin on 16th ultimo, I learn that all immediate danger of the rebels attacking the capital has passed. Refugees from the surrounding country, who had flocked into the city in large numbers, had begun to return to their homes, popular fears having been allayed by the arrival of troops from Hunan and the news of the Viceroy's coming. The rebels were still said to be in the occupation of the Yung Ning and Yi Ning districts, but they had no competent leaders, and were incapable of offering any organized resistance to the Imperial troops, once the latter were able to attack in force.
From Kuichow I hear that attempts by various large bands of brigands to retreat into that province have been frustrated by the energetic action of the Governor, Li Ching-hsi, who has drawn a cordon of troops along the Kuangsi border. Li Ching-hisi, who is Governor designate of Kuangsi, left Kueiyang en route for Shanghae vià Hunan on the 20th ultimo. He will, it is reported, come south by sea, and proceed up the West River, probably as far as Nanning.
(2216 -1]
(Signed)
I have, &c.
HARRY H. FOX.
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