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Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Memorandum by Consul-General Wilkinson.
THE poster, translation of which was attached to my despatch to Burmah of the 30th November, 1906, was subsequently reproduced as an editorial in the "Tien-nan Ch'ao-pao," the semi-official "Yunnan Gazette" published daily under the direction of the local University. In that University two of the Directors of the so- called "Yunnan-Szechuan and Tengyueh Railways Company "-Messrs. Li K'un and Ch'en Tu-are professors, and they are now availing themselves of the "Gazette " as a channel for the dissemination of their views on railway construction in this province.
In the process of adapting the poster to the editorial some alterations have been made which throw light on certain points that I found obscure. The expression "fan-wei," lit. "ring-fence of the plan," which I had taken to refer to the trace of the Tengyueh Railway, is now shown to mean a "system " or "scheme" of railway construction for the whole province. The full title of the editorial runs: "In the matter of the presentation of a Petition for a Memorial to start the construction of a (or the) Tengyuch Railway, and to lay down a definite scheme for the railways of Yunnan Province, so as to preserve our hold on the profits and to secure our frontiers."
The editorial omits the words (I refer to my translation of the poster) "also a task that is most formidable" and the sentences from "in the case of those that have been conceded to foreigners" to "collecting shares for its construction." (It thus says nothing of the controversion of the British Consul.) Otherwise it is, with one significant exception, textually identical with the poster down to "let the profits come to ourselves." (The words I translated "if for the course of the line we do not fix a trace" should be rendered "if for the course of the lines we do not lay down a definite scheme.") The exception is the substitution of the character shih, "circumstance," for lì, " right and proper," in the passage I translated "This is, indeed, natural." What the poster said was, in effect, "the British will insist on equality of privileges with the French, as is, indeed, only reasonable"; what the editorial says is "the British will insist on equality of privileges with the French; this is, indeed, certain." The Directors in their revised pronouncement do not admit that a demand on our part for equal treatment would be li, "in accordance with the eternal fitness of things."
To the words "it would be better to make our own plans for building and let the profits come to ourselves" the editorial adds, "of which the Yunnan-Tonquin Railway is sufficient evidence."” It supplies an estimate for the Yüunan-Szechuan line-12,000,000 taels or 13,000,000 taels (this, of course, is absurdly low, even if the railway were not to be built by Chinese mandarins), adding that "measures have been taken to raise this amount, The phrase "the wealthy merchants of the western circuit" is somewhat expanded; otherwise the text of the two documents continues to be identical down to "its length being short, it would speedily become a
success."
Here the poster practically ended. The editorial goes on to say that the trading classes being set on gain, when these perceive that the Tengyuch line is a great success, they will hustle one another in their eagerness to subscribe to the Yunnan- Szechuan Railway, and will not harbour suspicion or "wait to see." (This seems to hint at a present backwardness on the part of the trading classes to subscribe to the Yunnan-Szechuan scheme.) Thus the Tengyueh line would prove a foundation for the Szechuan; 3,000,000 taels or 4,000,000 taels would suffice to secure the "hold ou the profits" of the western road and thus gain the confidence of our people.
Moreover (continues the editorial), when the Tengyueh line has been opened, wealth will gradually increase, and that line can be extended through Paoshan (Yungchang) and Tali, or via Shunning, on to Szechuan, an extension to which the two sections (the Tengyueh and the Sui-fu) would be as head and tail. Now, England has already sent men to survey for the Burmah line, and it is proposed to proceed at once with construction up to the Kulikha. It is of the greatest importance to consult with them and to make a Treaty by which each should construct its own section. In this way success would be particularly easy, and the hold on the profits would be equally divided. The "sawbwas " along the line would engage labourers and purchase supplies, and this supervision would eliminate all risk of disturbance.
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What has been said applies to the main line; but when that is completed there would be numerous branch lines. As the main line would be constructed by ourselves (the Chinese), it goes without saying that the branch lines would also fall to us to build. This policy of home construction must be followed throughout Yunnan, and must be unchangeable; but if it is not first placed on record by Memorial, we fear that foreigners will become extraordinarily insistent, and in our consequent resolute resistance a great deal of talk will be expended.
We were about to present a Petition accordingly, when we had the bonour to receive the following despatch from the Superintendent of the Bureau of Agriculture, Trade, and Industry:
"In pursuance of instructions from his Excellency to join at once in deliberation and to report for consideration, a joint representation was submitted, setting forth our resolution to construct ourselves the Tengyuch Railway, and, with the exception of the Yunnan-Tonquin line, to ask for the definite settlement of a railway scheme for all Yünnan. This we respectfully prayed might be laid before the Throue. If assent was given, we asked that instructions might issue to the Yunnan-Szechuan Railway Company's Directorate to arrange to combine the management. We suggested that the name should be enlarged into the Yunnan-Szechuan and Tengyueh Railways Company,' having a branch office at Tengyueh to be known as the 'Tengyuch Railway Company, to be on the spot for the actual construction. All matters connected with funds and staff would follow the Regulations established by Decree for the Yunnan-- Szechuan Railway. Details calling for immediate alteration or addition, together with the Regulations for raising capital at the outports, were considered at a general meeting and submitted separately. The whole was laid before his Excellency for his consideration, with a prayer that he would memorialize in this sense, to the public advantage."
It appears (concludes the editorial) that to this representation the Governor- General replied that he "would present a Memorial in the sense of the Petition."
The Yunnan Gazette of the 30th November, 1906, reproduced from the "Shih Pao" a "List of the China Railways," in the course of which occurs the item:---
"Yünnau-Burmah Railway, Yünnan to Burmah; under British management (Ying-kuo ching-ying)."
In the next day's issue appeared the following editorial, headed “ Correction of Misstatements by the Shih l'ao' regarding Communications "
ment.'
"Of the statements that have appeared of late in the newspapers, very many are lacking in accuracy. To mention no others, we may instance the excerpt from the 'Shih Pao' on railways in China reproduced in our issue of the 30th November. It was there said that the railway from Yunnan to Burmah is under British manage- This may be taken as a sample, and why? Under Article XII of the Burmah Treaty, if China hereafter decides to build railways in Yünnan, she agrees to connect them with the Burmah lines. And again, in the 27th year of the Kuang Hsü (1901), the Wai-wn Pu wrote officially to the British Envoy to say that as regards the Yunnan-Burmah Railway, the Governor-General of Yunnan must, after consideration of the circumstances, take measures himself to construct; when the line shall have reached the Yunnan-Burmah frontier it will be connected with the British-Burmah system.' A Memorial has now been presented for the establishment of a Yünnau- Szechuan and Tengueh Railways Company, and stock is being collected for construction."
The newspaper in question (the "Shih Pao") has not inquired into the history of this railway, and its contributor has written carelessly. This is not at all as it should be. In reproducing his statement, we did so merely to confute it, that he might take warning thereby. In future, his statements should conform to the facts, and not be mere loose concoctions. We have now correctly informed our readers, who must not be misled by that paper.
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