CO129-344 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 211

This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.] 210

C.O. 19974

CHINA RAILWAYS.

[April 17.]

RECE

CONFIDENTIAL.

REGE 5 JUN 07,

SECTION 1,

(11357]

No. 1,

Sir Edward Grey to German Ambassador.

Your Excellency,

Foreign Office, April 17, 1907. ON the 9th instant Prince Stolberg left a Memorandum at this Office in which it was stated that the Imperial German Government would be obliged if His Majesty's Government would instruct the British Minister at Peking to join the German Minister in making an energetic protest at the Wai-wu Pu against the recent attempt on the part of the Chinese Government to cause a delay in the settlement of the Tien-tsin- Chinkiang Railway question.

It was explained to Prince Stolberg that the first care of His Majesty's Government at the present time was in connection with the all-British Soochow-Ningpo Railway, but that they would gladly take any steps which appeared possible with regard to the negotiations respecting the Tien-tsiu-Chinkiang Railway in order to facilitate their

conclusion.

I have the honour to state that on the 10th instant a telegram was sent to His Majesty's Minister at Peking informing him that, while precedence should, in his negotiations with the Chinese Government, be given to the negotiations respecting the Soochow-Ningpo Railway, he should support the German Minister in the Tien-tsin- Chinkiang Railway negotiations so far as he could do so without detriment to the Soochow-Ningpo negotiations; and I have since received a reply from him stating that he has agreed with Count Rex that the best course for the present is to press for the Tien-tsin-Chinkiang negotiations being handed over to the Board of Com- munications.

Sir John Jordan has further been requested to urge upon the Wai-wu Pu the early appointment of a President to that Board in place of Tong Shoa-yi, who has been transferred elsewhere.

I am, &c. (Signed) E. GREY.

[2449 r--)

-1]