[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.}
523
C. O.
[March 1983
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[7668]
No. 1.
REC2
SECTION 2.
REGS 5 APR 07
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received March 9.)
(No. 31.) Šir,
Peking, January 21, 1907. WITH reference to my despatch No. 8 of the 6th January, I have the honour to inclose for your information copies of further correspondence relating to the affairs of the Peking Syndicate in Shansi Province.
On the 10th January, I received a reply from Prince Ching to my note of the 31st December, in which his Highness blamed the Syndicate for the delay in regard to their Shansi enterprise, and refused to admit the claim for damages. My note of the 18th January traverses all that would appear to be material in his statements and reiterates the claim.
Copy of the Agreement of the 26th April, 1898, between the Russo-Chinese Bank and the Peking Syndicate, referred to in my note to Prince Ch'ing of the 18th instant, formed an annexe to Inclosure No. 7 in Sir E. Satow's despatch No. 405 of the 27th November, 1905, to Lord Lansdowne.
I have, &c. (Signed)
J. N. JORDAN.
Your Excellency,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Mr. G. Brown to Sir J. Jordan.
January 8, 1907. I HAVE the honour to inclose a report of my final meeting with his Excellency Ting Nieh-tai's emissaries, Messrs. Ch'eu Chu Lun and Ch'en Chili Fen, whose efforts, as your Excellency will see, have been directed not to the arrangement of the proposed conference, but to an endeavour to persuade me to give up the Syndicate's rights to mine in Shansi. If these gentlemen correctly represent the situation, the authorities and the students of that province are defying, and are prepared to continue to defy, not us alone but their own Government, which is apparently considered to be powerless.
I have, &c.
(Signed) GEORGE BROWN, Agent-General.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
MEMORANDUM of an interview between Mr. George Brown, Agent-General of the Peking Syndicate and Messrs. Ch'en Chu Lun and Chien Chih Fen. The interview took place at Mr. Brown's residence on the 7th January, 1907. Dr. Gatrell was also present.
AFTER the usual compliments had been exchanged, Mr. Brown asked whether any word had been heard from his Excellency Ting. Mr. Ch'en Chu Lun replied: Nothing since the reply came to the report of the first interview, which reply was that if the Agent-General would consent to waive the claim to open mines and would signify his willingness to entertain proposals for a compromise, his Excellency Ting would then have reasonable proposals to bring forward, and would have full authority granted to discuss the matter," and Mr. Brown was asked whether or not he was willing to entertain proposals for a compromise. Mr. Brown replied that so far he had not heard any reasonable proposal, which caused him some surprise, seeing that this constituted one of the conditions stipulated in the telegram agreeing to his Excellency Ting's proposal for a meeting, which meeting he understood Messrs. Ch'en had come to arrange on behalf of his Excellency Ting, who well knew the conditions; but that Messrs. Ch'en apparently could talk about nothing but "compromise," "setting aside
[2418 -2]
B
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.