CO129-345 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 551

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

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received formal assurances on the point. At my last interview the Wai-wu Pu had informed me that the settlement with Germany of outstanding railway questions in Shantung was likely to cause as great a delay in the Tien-tsin-Yang-taze negotiations as that entailed by the attitude of the gentry in the case of the Soochow-Ningpo line.

Count Rex replied that he had not himself been in direct communication with the Wai-wu Pu on the subject for some two months, but that be certainly understood from M. Cordes that the Tien-tsin-Yang-tsze negotiations were in advance of the Soochow- Ningpo ones, and that being so, he still saw no reason why they should be delayed for the benefit of the latter. I assured him that throughout the negotiatious it was perfectly under- stood on both sides that the Tien-tsin-Yang-tsze Agreement, when finally concluded, should, with the necessary alterations, be used as the text of the Soochow-Ningpo Agreement.

M. Cordes came to see me a little later, and remonstrated in similar terms against his negotiations being made dependent upon ours, and inquired if I would not accept a written guarantee from the Wai-wu Pu that they would give effect to their engagement. I said that the signature of the Agreement would be the best fulfilment of the engagement.

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At an interview with Liang Ta-jên this afternoon I again pressed the question very strongly, but found him more disinclined than ever to face the local opposition without further support than he has at present. He stated that the Cheklang gentry had telegraphed in the strongest terms demanding the right to construct the line with their own money and without the participation of foreign capital. Their position was really stronger than his, as they possessed an Imperial Decree and he had none. remarked that the Decree was a breach of an Imperial undertaking with us, and ought never to have been issued. He assented, and said that the Wai-wu Fu adopted the same view when they agreed to enter upon negotiations with us. Finally, it was agreed that I should see Prince Ching and his Excellency Yuan Shih-k'ai, who are both at the Summer Palace, and press for the issue of a Decree which would empower Mr. Liang to deal with the question independently of the local opposition. I have accordingly applied for an interview, but as Prince Ching's son, Tsai Chên, was responsible for the Decree of the 23rd September, 1905, which has caused all the trouble, I am not very sanguine that my mission will be successful.

I may add that, from a subsequent conversation which I had with Wang Ta-jên and a previous interview with the new Governor of Chekiang, who is now in Peking, I have gathered the impression that the Central Government can, if it wishes, overcome the opposition. The real difficulty seems to be that, while in the case of the Tien-tsin- Yang-tsze Railway, Liang Ta-jên can rely upon the support of Yuan Shib-k'ai, who has been Viceroy and Governor respectively of the two provinces through which the line will pass, he has no one to stand between him and the gentry of Chekiang with their Imperial Decree and ambitious railway projects.

I have, &c.

(Signed) J. N. JORDAN,

AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[40464]

No. 1.

Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan.

C.O

[December 10.] 127

SECTION

HES: 2 JAN 08

(No. 135.) (Telegraphic.) P.

Foreign Office, December 10, 1907. CANTON piracy. Your telegram No. 214 of the 9th instant. The reply you propose to send the Wai-wu Pu is approved. Lord Li has made no secret of the fact that he has received telegrams from the Viceroy of Canton, to whom he is related, and that his representations were based on them.

The Minister assured me that the Viceroy intended to deal seriously with the question, and begged me to make it easy for him to do so. I have therefore requested the Admiralty to inform Admiral Moore that it would not be advisable for our vessels to proceed higher up the river than they may be at present until we see whether the steps promised by the Chinese Minister induce the Viceroy to settle the questions at issue satisfactorily. At the same time I expressed my opinion to the Admiralty that the patrol should not be relaxed.

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