CO129-343 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 661

(Telegraphic.)

2

Inclosure in No. 1.

Mr. Bland to Chinese Central Railways, London.

Shanghae, March 21, 1907. TIEN-TSIN-Yang-tsze Railway negotiations for Final Agreement. British Minister, Peking, German Minister, Peking, have agreed to continue at It is a very Tien-tsin with addition special representative Board of Communications. critical time; every effort must be made so as to settle Agreement as soon as it is possible. German Minister, Peking, inclined to insist on Chinese state officially do they accept our terms, namely, Kowloon-Canton Railway system control(s), maintaining generally financial condition Tien-tsin-Yang-tsze Railway Preliminary Agreement as modified in recent negotiations. British Minister, Peking, are not in a position to co-operate without definite instructions.

as above.

We earnestly ask you to request the Foreign Office, London, authorize joint action

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

CHINA RAILWAYS,

CONFIDENTIAL.

[11555]

No. 1.

655

14492

[March 27

RED: 24 APR 07: SECTION 2.

Question asked in the House of Commons, March 27, 1907.

Mr. Ramsay Macdonald,-To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, at what price, delivered at Kowloon, including insurance and freight, sleepers have been supplied for the British Government section of the Kowloon to Canton Railway; whether the sleepers, according to the contract, had to be hand-hewn or sawed; whether a Government certificate of inspection from the place of export accompanied the shipment; whether he is aware that the Hong Kong agents of the firm supplying those sleepers are also the agents of the British Chinese Corporation (Limited); whether tenders for the supply of these sleepers were called for, and, if so, when and where they were advertised; and, more particularly, whether the Crown Agents gave any information to the Agents General of the Australian States that the tenders were being asked for these sleepers.

Answer.

I understand that a contract has been given locally by the Resident Engineer for certain sleepers, but the matter was not referred to the Crown Agents or the Colonial Office, and the Secretary of State has at present no official information on the subject.

[2421 dd-2]