5
kept, nor have I seen any reference to it in any communication from the Wai-wu Pu. In the letter from his Highness Prince Ching of the 9th instant, which your Excellency has been good enough to communicate to me, reference is lightly made to reasons why the Governor of Shansi is unable to issue the permit. The promise by a responsible Minister of the Wai-wu Pd seems to have been forgotten-it is certainly ignored. I have been told of peremptory orders sent from Peking to the Shansi Government for the issue of the permit, which orders, more than once repeated, have been disregarded by the provincial authorities. Such a state of affairs is regarded in most countries as rebellion to be put right by the Government concerned, but it is inconceivable that the mandate of the Chinese Government does not run in a province so close to Peking as Shansi. Therefore I presume the Central Government is prepared to accept the odium and the burden of its subordinates' action. It certainly cannot be surprised that the Syndicate should, after long forbearance, appeal for the protection of the British Government, nor that a claim should be thereupon presented for adequate compensation in regard to an Imperially sanctioned covenant so openly repudiated, promises so lightly broken, rights so flagrantly violated, losses so unjustly inflicted.
Eren now, however, I am prepared, subject to your Excellency's approval, to welcome any bond fide attempt to adjust the difficulties and differences that exist, if only some guarantee of serious purpose be forthcoming. Your Excellency has recently suggested that a discussion with Ting Ta-jên, Provincial Judge of Sbausi, now in Peking, might be productive of good, and kindly made arrangements for it to come to pass. I have had that interview, and have some confidence that it may bring us nearer to a settlement. Whether it does so or not depends not so much on the efforts of a humble servant of the Syndicate as on the benevolent attitude of high officers of Government with whom rests the final moulding of events. It is from their action that the outcome of our negotiations will take its shape. I trust that they will so move the provincial authorities of Shansi as to secure a favourable issue and put an end to all the present troubles.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Your Excellency,
Inclosure 5 in No. 1.
GEORGE BROWN,
Mr. G. Brown to Sir J. Jordan.
Agent-General.
Peking Syndicate (Limited), Tien-tsin, May 25, 1907.
I HAVE the honour to inclose a copy of a letter (with Chinese version) addressed by me to his Excellency Ting Niehtai regarding the main points of a discussion between that official and myself at the meeting in his dwelling on the 23rd instant kindly arranged by your Excellency and the Wai-wu Pu, concerning which my only regret is that it did not, as originally stipulated, take place at the Wai-wu Pu, where a responsible Minister could have been present, and that Ting Ta-jên had not an authoritative mandate of the Shansi Government.
A copy of a more detailed account of the interview is also forwarded for your Excellency's information.
The demeanour of my host was throughout most courteous, owing probably to the injunctions which he acknowledged to have just received from the Wai-wu Pu to work towards a settlement.
It will be observed that, in accordance with your Excellency's wishes, I have agreed, after Ting Ta-jên's month of home leave has expired, and when the way has been prepared and suitable arrangements have been made, to proceed to Taiyuan-fu and conduct negotiations there, on condition that there is a fair prospect of a successful issue, which I shall naturally do my best to bring about.
I have, &c. (Signed) GEORGE BROWN,
Agent-General.
Inclosure 6 în No. 1.
Mr. G. Brown to Ting Pao Ch'uan,
Peking Syndicate (Limited), Tien-tsin, Your Excellency,
May 25, 1907. AS the matters discussed at the interview which your Excellency accorded me on the 23rd instant are of considerable importance, it will be well that the main points should be put on record while they are fresh in our memories, in order to avoid any risk of misunderstanding.
First, I would express my cordial thanks for your Excellency's courtesy, not only in the manner of my reception, but also in the general tone of the conversation that took place.
The subject of the difficulties in Shansi having been introduced, your Excellency explained that you had been instructed by the Wai-wu Pu to meet me, and that your Excellency was most anxious to talk matters over, with the object of effecting a settle- ment. Your Excellency wished to emphasize two points. First, that according to the terms of the Agreement the Peking Syndicate was requested by the Shansi Bureau of Trade to undertake on its behalf mining operations in Shansi; that the Agreement in several places stipulated that this Bureau and the Syndicate were to co-operate, and the non-compliance with these stipulations on the part of the Syndicate was responsible for the attitude of autagonism displayed by the gentry of Shansi. Secondly, the claim of 2001. a-day as compensation for the delay in issuing the permit was considered by the gentry to be so unreasonable that they were unwilling to have anything whatever to do with the Syndicate, and your Excellency asked me whether I would not withdraw the claim. I explained it was out of my power to do this, because the claim was in the hands of the British Government and His Britannic Majesty's Minister. In subsequent discussion, however, after having asked for your Excellency's idea of a basis for settle- ment, and having received the reply that "the Agreement itself would form the best basis," I assured your Excellency that the Syndicate required the carrying out of the Agreement or compensation, not both, and that, so soon as the Agreement was complied with, the claim for compensation would disappear; but the Syndicate asked, above all things, for the carrying out of the Agreement, and only claimed compensation for its refusal. This statement your Excelleney regarded as satisfactory.
With regard to consultation with the Shansi Bureau of Trade, I pointed out tu your Excellency that this came after the issue of the permit by the Governor, the conditions governing which were contained in Article 1 of the Agreement. I also explained that early last year I had by invitation met some of the Shansi gentry at the Wai-wu Pu, when five of the Ministers were present; that a promise had been made to me of another meeting after deliberation among themselves, but this promise had not been fulfilled. Later in the year the Wai-wu Pu had guaranteed the issue of the permit on separate occasions both to His Britannic Majesty's Minister and myself, it being understood that the sixty years' limit should date from the issue. Your Excellency replied that of the gentry referred to not one had anything to do with the Shansi Bureau of Trade, that the promises made by the Wai-wu Pu were not recognized by the Bureau, and that it was absolutely essential that the Syndicate and the Bureau of 'Trade, who had drifted far apart, should come together again.
Your Excellency then went on to express great anxiety to bring about a settlement, explaining that you were now in a very different position from that of a few days ago, when Dr. Gatrell called, in that now your Excellency was acting under instructions from the Wai-wu Pu; while at that time, having given up the seals of office, your Excellency dared not take any steps for fear of arousing suspicion in the minds of the officials of the Bureau of Trade and the people of Shansi, which would inevitably render abortive any plans for bringing about a settlement.
Your Excellency expressed a great desire for me to go to Shansi for a conference. Meantime your Excellency would write to the Shansi officials and prepare the way, and, after taking a month's home leave, would return to Shansi and make proper arrange- ments, &c. I expressed my willingness to go, subject to His Britannic Majesty's Minister's approval, providing that there was a pretty certain hope of a settlement resulting. Your Excellency said that you would not ask me to go unless there was hope of a good result, and begged me to trust your Excellency's word in this matter.
Your Excellency explained that it would take two months to have everything in train. I replied that the affair was too important to admit of long delay, to which your
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