[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government
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from the gentry of Hupei. He was not disposed to memorialize on the subject, however, without an intimation from the Central Government that a loan would be authorized.
As the result of our interview with your Excellencies, we understand that the Board of Communications is prepared to support the construction of provincial railways in general, and the above-mentioned lines in particular, provided that loans can be negotiated under conditions acceptable to the Chinese Government, and conforming to the views of the provincial authorities concerned; and we further understand that your Excellencies are prepared to convey to his Excellency Chang Chih-tung an intimation in this sense.
Regarding the present condition of the money market and the high-standing of China's credit as favourable to the successful inception of railway undertakings under guarantee of the Imperial Government, we have the honour to submit, for your Excellencies' consideration, our suggestion that the provinces which are now considering the construction of railways, and particularly Hupei, be notified that any proposals emanating from the provincial authorities or bureaus, for authority to borrow foreign capital for these enterprises, under conditions acceptable to the Chinese Government, will be supported by the Board of Communications. We venture the opinion that if this is done the present unsatisfactory condition of railway undertakings in several provinces will speedily be remedied and the desired means of communication economically introduced to the immediate benefit of the Central Government and the provinces alike.
In conclusion, we have the honour to state that so soon as the necessary authority for negotiations has been given, the Companies which we represent are prepared to offer liberal terms for the financing and construction of such lines as may be approved by the Board of Communications and the Imperial Government.
We have, &c.
(Signed) BLAND AND CASENAVE.
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[9739]
No. 1.
War Office to Foreign Office.-(Received March 25.)
Sir,
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[March 2.]
SECTION
ECT
19 APP 07
War Office, March 22, 1907. I AM commanded by the Army Council to acknowledge the receipt of letter
your of the 15th instant, inclosing a copy of a map of the Swatow district showing the trace of the Swatow-Chao-chou Fu Railway.
2. A copy of Lieutenant-Colonel Pereira's Report on that railway has been received from the General Officer Commanding the Troops in South China, and, in accordance with your request, I am to forward herewith two copies of it for the information of Sir Edward Grey.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
Inclosure in No. 1.
E. W. D. WARD.
Report by Lieutenant-Colonel Pereira respecting the Swatow Railway.
THE Ch'ao-shan (Ch'ao-chou Fu-Swatow) Railway was formally opened on the 28th November, 1906. The line, the Commissioner of Customs told me, is 24 miles long. Including sidings it is 30 miles of rail. It is intended to prolong the line at either end from the Swatow terminus past the city down to the harbour on the east side of the city, where a jetty will be built, and from the Ch'ao-chou Fu terminus to I-khoe (in Mandarin, "I-chi") on the Han River, the latter an extension of 24 miles.
It is hoped that the freight will then be diverted from the Han River to the railway, but as the railway charges will be higher than by boat, this is hardly likely to succeed.
I travelled over the line on the 19th December, 1906.
Three trains run each way daily, leaving Swatow at 7 A.M., 11 A.M., and 3 P.M. respectively, and returning from Ch'ao-chou Fu at 9 A.M., at 1 P.M., and at 5 P.M.
The journey each way takes eighty-four minutes; my train was two minutes late starting and twelve minutes late arriving, whilst on the return journey it started three It is said that the minutes before time, and arrived about five minutes late. administration of the railway is well organized, and that trains are punctual.
To reach it it is
The Swatow terminus is about 1 miles from the harbour. necessary to go through the native city, cross a stone bridge over a branch of the Han River about 30 yards wide, and take a ferry over a second branch about 50 yards wide. The railway station is about 100 yards from the ferry.
The Han River, which unites into one stream, passing Chao-chou Fu, breaks up into two channels just below that city, and later on splits up into many branches, forming a delta in the plain around Swatow.
The railway runs across this very fertile plain, mostly given up to paddy fields, and cut by many small streams and ponds. These streams and ponds are especially numerous around the Swatow terminus. Villages are very plentiful on the plain, and a local ruissionary estimated that it is the most thickly populated part of the province he has seen, Trees are plentiful owing to the number of villages, especially on approaching Ch'ao-chou Fu; perhaps the banyan and cotton trees are most common, whilst in places there are orange groves. There is also a good deal of bamboo. A good deal of sugar-cane is grown.
Rocky hills 600 feet to 1,000 feet high begin beyond Am-pou, and continue 20 r 3 miles to the left (west and north) of the line nearly all the way, opening out for a short way beyond Phu-ien station.
There are also bills some 5 miles to the east of Am-pou, which, however, soon recede.
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