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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
SOUTH-WEST CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[42821]
No. 1.
[December 22.]
SECTION 1.
(No. 29.) Sir,
Consul-General Wilkinson to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received December 22.)
Yünnan-fu, November 7, 1906. WITH reference to my despatch No. 25 of the 3rd October, I have the honour to inclose copy of a further communication which I have addressed to the Government of Burmah on the subject of the proposed railway reconnaissance cast of Tengyuch.
I have, &c. (Signed)
W. IL. WILKINSON,
91
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Consul-General Wilkinson to Government of Burmah.
(No. 44. Burmah. Confidential.) Sir,
Yunnan-fu, November 5, 1906. IN continuation of my despatch No. 39 of the 2nd ultimo, on the subject of the pro- posed reconnaissance between Tengyueb and Tali, I had, as you will remember, suggested in my telegram of the 2nd October that no further official intimation should be given to the Chinese authorities as long as the question of the Kulikha-Tengyueh section remains unsettled. That telegram was sent you through His Majesty's Acting-Consul at Tengyuch. The following day Mr. Ottewill wired to me to say that he had added the comment " All you want is protection, &c., is it not, similar to last year? The Chinese will probably grant that as soon as asked for; whereas it may take months to settle the Tengyuch Railway question."
It was evident that my reply had not been sufficiently explicit. I accordingly again telegraphed to you, also through Mr. Ottewill, on the 3rd October saying that while a formal announcement was undesirable, there would be no objection to casual mention in the course of conversation.
On the 6th October you answered (telegram No. 180) both my telegrams. A start could not be made, you informed me, before the 1st January, and the Lieutenant- Governor was advised that an electrical engineer is unnecessary at this stage. All that is required from the Chinese authorities is protection and countenance similar to last year's. His Honour considered that although application for further authorization should not be made, nevertheless either His Majesty's Consul at Tengyuch or myself should arrange definitely for protection and local assistance. The following day you furnished me (telegram No. 182) with details of the strength of the party, which would consist of 4 engineers, 3 clerks, 1 hospital assistant, 22 survey menials, and 20 private servants. To these might possibly be added 3 surveyors and 22 meuials.
In view of the growing opposition on the part of a small but noisy and influential band of literati here to the Indian Government's proposal for joint construction of the Kulikha-Tengyneh section, I felt that it was not altogether advisable to formally notify the Chinese authorities, local or provincial. Since, however, your Government, having before it my telegrams of the 2nd and 3rd, still desired that definite arrangements should be made, I wrote to the Governor-General the note (dated 8th October) of which I beg to inclose translation.
On the 10th the Governor-General replied (a translation is appended) that he had handed my note to "the Directors of the Yunnan-Szechuan and Tengyueh Railways Company
" for discussion. The Directora had reported that the Tengyueh Railway having by Treaty to be constructed by Yunnan herself, the section through the intervening country to Tali must also, according to the Treaty, be taken in hand by The frontier ought not to be crossed, and the Directors prayed that [2284 y-1]
Yünnan.
B
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