(enclosure in my despatch No.146 of April 29th).
Na tajen had heard nothing from Sheng, but said that the Wai Wu Pu had received a telegram from the Viceroy of Canton to the effect that the local notables wished to build the Canton section themselves. On Mr. Campbell reminding him that there was a preliminary agreement, he merely said, in private explanation, that the local notables nowadays were everywhere wanting to build railways themselves.
In answer to questions he made it clear that Sheng was fully empowered and was the person I ought to deal with in this matter.
It was evident that nothing was to be gained by endeavouring to keep it in the hands of the Wai Wu Pu, and the loan negotiations at Hankow having reached a stage when direct communication with Sheng promised to be a help rather than a hindrance, I instructed Mr. Campbell to call on him, leave with him copies of the Canton-Kowloon railway draft agreements, and mention that Mr. C. H. Rose was in Peking and ready to discuss the first of these agreements on behalf of the British and Chinese Corporation.
In an interview on the morning of July 14th Mr. Campbell fulfilled these instructions. Although Sheng kung pao had not been told beforehand of the object of this visit he had apparently been warned by Na tejen, and as soon as the conversation began he produced from a letter case before him copies of the Chinese text of the Preliminary Agreement of March 28th, 1899, and of my summary of the draft agreement. He first drew Mr. Campbell's attention to what he called the discrepancy between the Preliminary Agreement of 1899 and the draft agreements now proposed. Article I of the former contemplated the construction and working of the whole distance from Canton to Kowloon as one railway by the British and Chinese Corporation under conditions to be concluded with the Chinese Government. The latter divided the line into two distinct portions, one of which was to be built by the Hongkong Government and the other by the British and Chinese Corporation. That meant that England would have everything to say about the Hongkong end and have a considerable voice on...
364
(enclosure in my despatch No.146 of April 29th).
Na tajen had heard nothing from Sheng, but said that
the Wai Wu Pu had received a telegram from the Vice-
roy of Canton to the effect that the local notables
wished to build the Canton section themselves. On
Mr. Campbell reminding him that there was a prelimin-
ary agreement, he merely said, in private explana-
tion, that the local notables nowadays were every-
where wanting to build railways themselves.
In
answer to questions he made it clear that Sheng was
fully empowered and was the person I ought to deal
with in this matter.
It was evident that nothing was to be gained
by endeavouring to keep it in the hands of the Wal
Wu Pu, and the loan negotiations at Hankow having
reached a stage when direct communication with Sheng
promised to be a help rather than a hindrance, I in-
structed Mr. Campbell to call on him, leave with him
copies of the Canton-Kowloon railway draft agree-
ments, and mention that Mr. C. H. Rose was in Peking
and ready to discuss the first of these agreements
on behalf of the British and Chinese Corporation.
In an interview on the morning of July 14th Mr.
Campbell fulfilled these instructions.
Although
Sheng kung pao had not been told beforehand of the
object of this visit he had apparently been warned
by Na tejen, and as soon as the conversation began
he produced from a letter case before him copies of
the Chinese text of the Preliminary Agreement of
March 28th, 1899, and of my summary of the draft
agreement. He first drew Mr. Campbell's attention
to what he called the discrepancy between the Pre-
liminary Agreement of 1899 and the draft agreements
now proposed. Article I of the former contemplated
the construction and working of the whole distance
from Canton to Kowloon as one railway by the British
and Chinese Corporation under conditions to be con-
The latter
cluded with the Chinese Government.
divided the line into two distinct portions, one of
which was to be built by the Hongkong Government and
the other by the British and Chinese Corporation.
That meant that England would have everything to say
about the Hongkong end and have a considerable voice
on
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