CO129-331 - Public Offices - 1905 — Page 371

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(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

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