Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
2
With these considerations the Board do not feel able to comply with your Excellency's request to direct that no Chinese trade-mart shall be established on land adjoining the foreign Settlement at Shanghae.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Prince Ch'ing.
October 6, 1906.
Your Highness,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Highness' note of the 1st October, referring to the proposed establishment of a Chinese municipality at Chapei, with the contents of which I am entirely unable to agree. Your Highness loses sight of the central fact in this question. The port of Shanghae, which is at present one of the foremost trade-marts of the world, was founded by merchants of various nationalities, principally English, over sixty years ago. The place was unknown and insignificant before foreign merchants went there, and it has arrived at its present importance and prosperity solely by reason of the enterprise and high repute of the foreign residents. The area assigned to foreign residence has increased with the growth of foreign commerce, and foreign municipal organization has increased with it, but this area is naturally limited, and can never be more than a few square miles at the most. Of late, agitation of a character hostile to all legitimate British interests has arisen in China, and in obedience to the wishes of the agitators, the Chinese authorities at Shanghai propose measures which are intended to thwart sanitary improvements and road-making on the outskirts of the foreign Settlements, and to put a stop to the growth of the Treaty port. The intentions are common knowledge, and it cannot be gainsaid that they are antagonistic to peaceful relations with foreign countries.
The interests of British merchants, dating back for over sixty years, in the port of Shanghae, are of enormous value, and it is not possible for His Majesty's Government to acquiesce in any action of the Chinese authorities which must do injury to those interests.
I have again the honour to request your Highness to instruct the Superintendent of Southern Trade and the Chinese authorities concerned to refrain from establishing a Chinese municipality on the outskirts of the foreign Settlements at Shanghai.
I avail, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL,
[40355]
No. 1.
440
[December 1.]
SECTION 4.
C.O.
43055
03 NCC 06
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received December 1.) (No. 424.) Sir,
Peking, October 17, 1906. WITH reference to Mr. Carnegie's despatch No. 351 of the 21st August, I have the honour to inclose, for your information, copy of a letter, dated the 24th September, from Mr. George Brown, Agent-General of the Peking Syndicate, summarizing the history of the discussions which have taken place since November of last year in regard to the affairs of the Syndicate in the province of Shansi.
On three occasions during this month and last, verbal inquiries were made of his Excellency Tong Shao-yi respecting the issue of the necessary permit, and I was informed that the Wai-wu Pu were using their best efforts to bring the Governor of Shansi to reason, and that I could rely on a permit being issued sooner or later.
On the 9th October I spoke strongly on the subject at the Wai-wu Pu, and asked that the plain terms of the Syndicate's agreement should be fulfilled by issuing the permit asked for without further delay. His Excellency Tong Shao-yi, who is the Minister specially charged with this matter, assured me that the Wai-wu Pu had telegraphed explicit instructions to the Governor, and were sparing no effort to hasten the issue of the permit. When questioned closely as to the nature of the instructions sent to Shansi, his Excellency read extracts from a long telegram to the Governor dealing with general objections which the latter had raised to the area marked on the permit map, and requesting him to be more precise. As the Governor was asked to send a deputy to make an investigation, I protested that this merely meant more delay, and could not serve any purpose at this date. The patience of the Syndicate was exhausted, and there could be no doubt in the mind of any reasonable person that they had been treated with complete want of justice. It was impossible for me to ask them to wait longer. They had large capital sunk in this undertaking, and, with the prospect of the Cheng-ting-Taiyuan railway being completed as far as Ping-ting Chou in a few months, delay in issuing the permit meant delay in commencing operations and consequent loss to the shareholders. The question of compensation had already been raised by the Syndicate, and it had been the constant effort of His Majesty's Legation to avoid a demand for damages by inducing the Chinese Government to carry out the simple letter of their engagement.
His Excellency repeated that the Wai-wu Pu had done and were doing their utmost, and promised to urge the Governor by telegraph again. I refused to accept this as sufficient. The issue of the permit offered no difficulty whatever, so far as I could see, and that alone would satisfy the Syndicate and me. Unless this was done within a few days, I should be compelled to refer the matter to His Majesty's Government—a step which I was reluctant to take. Though ready to state again that a permit would be issued, his Excellency was unable to give me an assurance that this would be done soon, and with an expression of strong dissatisfaction I passed on to another subject.
To bring the question to a definite issue, I sent a written message to his Excellency next day (the 10th October) that I would wait another week before telegraphing to you. I requested him at the same time to inform Prince Ching that it would be out of my power to refrain from placing the matter in the hands of His Majesty's Government if at the expiration of the week the permit was not issued.
As I informed you in my telegram No. 191 of yesterday, I am now awaiting the return of Mr. Brown to Peking to decide on the steps which I shall have the honour to suggest to you by telegraph.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
[2263 a~4]
Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
2
With these considerations the Board do not feel able to comply with your Exed leney's request to direct that no Chinese trade-mart shall be established on land adjoining the foreign Settlement at Shanghae.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Prince Ch'ing.
October 6, 1906.
Your Highness,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Highness' note of the is October, referring to the proposed establishment of a Chinese municipality at Chape with the contents of which I am entirely unable to agree. Your Highness loses sight o the central fact in this question. The port of Shanghae, which is at present one of th foremost trade-marts of the world, was founded by merchants of various nationalities principally English, over sixty years ago. The place was unknown and insignifican before foreign merchants went there, and it has arrived at its present importance az prosperity solely by reason of the enterprise and high repute of the foreign residenti The area assigned to foreign residence has increased with the growth of force commerce, and foreign municipal organization has increased with it, but this area naturally limited, and can never be more than a few square miles at the most. Of late agitation of a character hostile to all legitimate British interests has arisen in Chia and in obedience to the wishes of the agitators the Chinese authorities at Shangha propose measures which are intended to thwart sanitary improvements and road-makin on the ontskirts of the foreign Settlements, and to put a stop to the growth of the Trea port. The intentions are common knowledge, and it cannot be gainsaid that they a antagonistic to peaceful relations with foreign countries.
The interests of British merchants, dating back for over sixty years, in the ports Shanghae, are of enormous value, and it is not possible for His Majesty's Government acquiesce in any action of the Chinese authorities which must do injury to the
interests.
I have again the honour to request your Highness to instruct the Superintende of Southern Trade and the Chinese authorities concerned to refrain from establishi a Chinese municipality on the outskirts of the foreign Settlements at Shanghac.
I avail, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL,
[40355]
No. 1.
440
[December 1.]
SECTION 4.
C.O.
43055
03 NCC 06
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received December 1.) (No. 424.) Sir,
Peking, October 17, 1906. WITH reference to Mr. Carnegie's despatch No. 351 of the 21st August, I have the honour to inclose, for your information, copy of a letter, dated the 24th September, from Mr. George Brown, Agent-General of the Peking Syndicate, summarizing the history of the discussions which have taken place since November of last year in regard to the affairs of the Syndicate in the province of Shansi.
On three occasions during this month and last verbal inquiries were made of his Excellency Tong Shoa-yi respecting the issue of the necessary permit, and I was informed that the Wai-wu Pu were using their best efforts to bring the Governor of Shansi to reason, and that I could rely on a permit being issued sooner or later.
On the 9th October I spoke strongly on the subject at the Wai-wu Pu, and asked that the plain terms of the Syndicate's agreement should be fulfilled by issuing the permit asked for without further delay. His Excellency Tong Shoa-yi, who is the Minister specially charged with this matter, assured me that the Wai-wu Pu had telegraphed explicit instructions to the Governor, and were sparing no effort to hasten the issue of the permit. When questioned closely as to the nature of the instructions sent to Shansi, his Excellency read extracts from a long telegram to the Governor dealing with general objections which the latter had raised to the area marked on the permit map, and requesting him to be more precise. As the Governor was asked to send a deputy to make an investigation, I protested that this merely meant more delay, and could not serve any purpose at this date. The patience of the Syndicate was exhausted, and there could be no doubt in the mind of any reasonable person that they had been treated with complete want of justice. It was impossible for me to ask them to wait longer. They had large capital sunk in this undertaking, and, with the prospect of the Cheng-ting-Taiyuan railway being completed as far as Ping-ting Chou in a few months, delay in issuing the permit meant delay in commencing operations and conse- quent loss to the shareholders. The question of compensation had already been raised by the Syndicate, and it had been the constant effort of His Majesty's Legation to avoid a demand for damages by inducing the Chinese Government to carry out the simple letter of their engagement.
His Excellency repeated that the Wai-wu Pu had done and were doing their utmost, and promised to urge the Governor by telegraph again. I refused to accept this as sufficient. The issue of the permit offered no difficulty whatever, so far as I could see, and that alone would satisfy the Syndicate and me. Unless this was done within a few days I should be compelled to refer the matter to His Majesty's Government-a step which I was reluctant to take. Though ready to state again that a permit would be issued, his Excellency was unable to give me an assurance that this would be done soon, and with an expression of strong dissatisfaction I passed on to another subject.
To bring the question to a definite issue, I sent a written message to his Excellency next day (the 10th October) that I would wait another week before telegraphing to you. I requested him at the same time to inform Prince Ching that it would be out of my power to refrain from placing the matter in the hands of His Majesty's Government if at the expiration of the week the permit was not issued.
As I informed you in my telegram No. 191 of yesterday, I am now awaiting the return of Mr. Brown to Peking to decide on the steps which I shall have the honour to suggest to you by telegraph.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
J. N. JORDAN.
[2263 a~4]
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