CO129-344 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 212

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

CHINA RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[11357]

No. 1.

C.O.

211

19974

RECE

[April 17.]

REG 5 JUN 07

SECTION 2,

Sir,

Foreign Office to Chinese Central Railways.

Foreign Office, April 17, 1907.

I AM directed by Secretary Sir Edward Grey to inform you that he has had under his consideration your letter of the 8th instant regarding the Soochow-Ningpo and Tien-tsin-Yang-tsze Railways negotiations.

A telegram has in consequence been dispatched to His Majesty's Minister at Peking, informing him that, while precedence should be given to the negotiations respecting the former line, he should, so far as is possible, without detriment to these negotiations, support his German colleague in the Tien-tsin-Yang-taze negotiations, which the Syndicate propose to continue independently.

Sir J. Jordan was directed to use his discretion as to insisting upon the transfer of these latter negotiations from the Viceroys of Chihli and Wuchang to the Board of Communications at Peking or to the Viceroy of Chibli alone. He has since replied that the German Minister and he have agreed that the best course for the present is to press for the charge of the negotiations to be handed over to the Board of Communica- tions.

Sir John Jordan has further been directed to urge the immediate appointment of a President to that Board in place of Tong Shoa-yi, who has been transferred elsewhere.

I am, &c.

[2449 r-2]

(Signed)

F. A. CAMPBELL.