CO129-344 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 223

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established at once on a provisional basis, subject to revision after a year's experience.

I said I hoped this forecast would be realized, as any prolongation of the present) state of things was intolerable, and grossly unjust to the interests of British trade at Newchwang.

I am forwarding copies of this despatch, confidentially, to His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Tokio, His Majesty's Consuls-General at Shanghac and Mukden, and His Majesty's Consuls at Newchwang and Dalny.

I have, &c.

(Signed) J. N. JORDAN.

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

CHINA TRADE.

CONFIDENTIAL.

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[May 18.]

SECTION 2.

No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received May 18.)

(No. 167.) Sir,

WITH reference to my despatch No. 443 of the 30th October, 1906, I have the

Peking, April 3, 1907. honour to report that the Wai-wu Pu has been pressed constantly to hasten the publication of the new Mining Regulations. In December I was informed that the Board of Commerce was delaying until the President, Prince Tsai Chen, returned from a special mission to Manchuria, and ou two occasions during the past month I was assured that the Wai-wu Pu and the Viceroy Chang Chi-tung were both urging the new Board of Agriculture, Works, and Commerce in the matter.

The delay is beyond doubt intentional, and it has probably a close connection with mining and other questions in Manchuria which are still under negotiation with Russia and Japan.

I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN.

£

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