588
His own private explanation of the present state of affairs, which, he admitted, could not continue. The outcry for the abrogation of foreign concessions, railway and mining, was directly due to circumstances connected with the Canton-Hankow railway concession. In regard to that, the people of the Hukuang provinces accused the foreign (Belgian) concessionaires of unfairness, and in the end the agreement was annulled with the help of English money. Other provinces - Shantung, Chihli, Kiangsu, Anhui, Chêkiang, and Kuangtung - observing the success of Hunan and Hupei, and partly incited by students in the new provincial colleges, commenced at once to agitate for the cancellation of foreign concessions and for the construction of railways by native enterprise alone.
The agitation had not been confined to British railways: the Shantungese wished to recover possession of the German railway to Kiaochou and to withdraw the Tientsin-Chinkiang railway concession, just as the Cantonese and the people of Chêkiang pressed for the annulling of the Canton-Kowloon and Soochow-Hangchow Ningpo railway agreements. They all wanted to build these railways themselves, but of course they were without experience and would soon discover in any case that they could not find the money.
His Excellency had no charge of unfairness to bring against British railway concessionaires, and when I expressed surprise at the fact that the Chinese Government, instead of checking the provinces and reminding them of the existence of binding contracts, supported their unjustifiable demands for cancellation, he asserted that it was not possible for the Central Government to disregard the wishes of the provinces and refuse to humour their agitations to some extent.
Circumstances had altered greatly since 1900. Before that, the use of compulsion by the Court to obtain the execution of unpalatable duties was free from the dangers which beset it nowadays. Since 1900, the provinces had acquired habits of independence in local matters, and they had to be reasoned with, not forced. He thought a little patience was all that was necessary. The Chinese Government would have to invite the provincial Governments and the agitating gentry to examine these...
588
his own private explanation of the present state of
affairs, which, he admitted, could not continue.
The outcry for the abrogation of foreign concessions,
railway and mining, was directly due to circumstances
connected with the Canton-Hankow railway concession.
In regard to that the people of the Hukuang provinces
accused the foreign (Belgian) concessionaires of un-
fairness, and in the end the agreement was annulled
with the help of English money. Other provinces -
Shantung, Chihll, Kiangsu, Anhui, Chêklang, and
Kuangtung observing the success of Hunan and Hupei,
and partly incited by students in the new provincial
colleges, commenced at once to agitate for the can-
cellation of foreign concessions and for the con-
struction of railways by native enterprise alone.
The agitation had not been confined to British railways:
the Shantungese wished to recover possession of the
German railway to Kiaochou and to withdraw the Tient-
sin-Chinklang railway concession, just as the Canton-
ese and the people of Chêkiang pressed for the annul-
ling of the Canton-Kowloon and Soochow-Hangchow
Ningpo railway agreements. They all wanted to build
these railways themselves, but of course they were
without experience and would soon discover in any
case that they could not find the money.
His Excellency had no charge of unfairness to
bring against British railway concessionaires, and
when I expressed aurprise at the fact that the Chi-
nese Government, instead of checking the provinces
and reminding them of the existence of binding con-
tracte, supported their unjustifiable demands for
cancellation, he asserted that it was not possible
for the Central Government to disregard the wishes
of the provinces and refuse to humour their agita-
tions to some extent.
greatly since 1900.
Circumstances had altered
Before that the use of compul-.
sion by the Court to obtain the execution of unpala-
it nowadays.
table duties was free from the dangera which beset
Since 1900 the provinces had acquired
habits of independence in local matters, and they
had to be reasoned with, not forced. He thought a
little patience was all that was necessary. The
Chinese Government would have to invite the provin-
cial Governments and the agitating gentry to examine
these
the
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