CO129-344 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 707

1

}

;

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

C.0.

704

31455

AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

[July 15.]

CONFIDENTIAL.

Mar: 2 SEP 07

SECTION 3.

[23395]

No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received July 15.)

(No. 263.) Sir,

Peking, May 30, 1907. WITH reference to my despatch No. 239 of the 16th May, I have the honour to inclose copies of a note which I addressed to Prince Ch'ing on the 9th May regarding the activity of Chinese Mining Companies in the district indicated by the Peking Syndicate as the locality for which they desired the permit to mine in Shansi; and also a translation of Prince Ching's reply, dated the 20th May, in which it is contended that these native enterprises do not concern the Syndicate, whose claim for compensation the Chinese Government once more refuses to recognize.

As stated in my previous despatch, I had sent copies of the Chinese Government's earlier replies (of the 9th May) to Mr. Brown, Agent-General of the Syndicate, in order that he might assist me by some suggestions or further expressions of his views in this defence of the Syndicate's interests.

I was therefore disappointed to receive from him a reply merely stating that the matter of the mining permit being in the hands of His Majesty's Government he would not take it on himself to add anything to what was already on record, and that, as regards the Smelting Agreement, Prince Ch'ing's note of the 9th May would be read with amazement in London.

It had for some time past been my conviction that the Syndicate was well content to leave His Majesty's Government and their Representative to fight their battles for them, while the claim for compensation grew with the passing of each day. I have been led to this conclusion by the manner in which the Agent-General-for whom I have the highest personal regard-bas pursued a policy of almost self-effacement vis-à-vis the Chinese authorities during the last few months. During this period he has remained at Tien-tsin immersed in routine business connected with the Honan mining works and railway. On the occasions when he has visited Peking he has rarely spent more than a day or two here and has not got into close touch with Chinese officials; and since his interview with the Shansi delegates in December last no sustained or serious action has been taken by him to induce the Shansi authorities to issue the permit. The presentation of the claim for compensation did not seem to me to justify this comparative inaction, and I accordingly wrote to Mr. Brown on the 20th May in the terms of the letter, a copy of which is inclosed. I also have the honour to inclose a copy of Mr. Brown's reply, dated the 25th May, and a copy of his Minutes of an interview with Ting Tajên, Provincial Judge of Shansi, on the 23rd May, from which it will be seen that this interview may possibly promote a settlement of this dispute.

Mr. Brown observes that a settlement depends on "the benevolent attitude of high officers of Government"; but it appears to me that it depends also to a con- siderable extent upon whether the Syndicate is willing to modify their view of the rights which were granted to them under the Agreement of 1898.

I have, &c. (Signed)

J. N. JORDAN.

Your Highness,

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Prince Ch'ing.

Peking, May 9, 1907.

IN my note of the 15th April I had the honour to remind your Highness that the Peking Syndicate's permit to start mining in Pingtingchou had not yet been issued, and in a conversation with the Ministers of your Highness' Board on the 7th May I alluded to reports which have reached me from the Agent-General of the Syndicate, showing that no less than twenty-six new mines have been opened by the Chinese Company known as the "Lu Kuang Kung Ssu," not only in Pingtingehou, but

(2570 p --3]

B

j