CO129-343 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 648

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.j

AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[10923]

No. 1.

642

14492

INESS

[April 6 24 APR 07

SECTION 4.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received April 6.)

(No. 94.) Sir,

Peking, February 19, 1907. WITH reference to my despatch No. 60 of the 4th February, I have the honour to inclose copy of a letter of the 12th February received from the Agent- General of the Peking Syndicate, in which he transmits copies of two letters sent to him by the Rev. Arthur Sowerby, a missionary resident at Taiyuan-fu. From these it would appear that, in Mr. Sowerby's view, the Shansi officials are really apprehensive of au anti-dynastic outbreak if the Syndicate commences work in that province.

Mr. Brown mentions that other reports from private sources of a somewhat disquieting nature have induced him to postpone the visit of the Syndicate's Engineer- in-chief, Mr. Reid, to Ping-ting Chou for a few weeks,

I have, &c. (Signed)

J. N. JORDAN.

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Your Excellency,

Mr. G. Brown to Sir J. Jordan.

Tien-tsin, February 12, 1907.75 I HAVE the honour to submit copies of two letters dated the 2nd ultimo and 4th instant from the Rev. Arthur Sowerby, of Taiyuan-fu, regarding the state of affairs in Shansi, from which it may be inferred that the excitement in that province is, in his opinion, as much an ebullition of feeling against the Manchu dynasty as against the Syndicate. Mr. Sowerby is, from his long residence at the provincial capital and his intimate relations with Ting Niehtai, entitled to speak with some weight.

Owing to other reports from private sources of a somewhat disquieting nature, I have thought it advisable to postpone Mr. Reid's projected visit to Ping-ting Chou for a few weeks at least, although Mr. J. E. Stewart at present finds the neighbourhood, except for the ineffective boycott of himself and staff, not openly hostile.

Your Excellency will notice that Mr. Sowerby is desirous that the expression of his views should be treated as confidential to some extent. I have, &c. (Signed) GEORGE BROWN,

Agent-General.

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Dear Sir,

Rev. A. Sowerby to Mr. G. Brown.

Taiyuan-fu, January 2, 1907.

I AM much obliged to you for your letter of the 28th December received to-day, and for your permission to write to you in confidence about the affairs of the Syndicate.

My point is that if you are aware of the standpoint of the Shansi officials

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