CO129-350 - Public Offices - 1908 — Page 314

(This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's

CHINA RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[41486]

No. 1,

312

[December 19 £

720

+

SECTION & JAN 08

Colonial Office to Foreign Office.-(Received December 19.)

THE Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and is directed by the Secretary of State to transmit, for the information of Secretary Sir Edward Grey, with reference to the letter from the Foreign Department of the 15th January last, a copy of correspondence on the subject of the proposed Chinese Railway from Canton to Whampoa and to Amoy.

Downing Street, December 18, 1907.

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Governor Sir F. Lugard to the Earl of Elgin.

My Lord,

Government House, Hong Kong, November 8, 1907. WITH reference to Sir John Jordan's despatch to Sir E. Grey dated the 4th October, 1906, copy of which was transmitted to my predecessor in your Lordship's Confidential despatch of the 5th December, 1906, and to previous correspondence on the subject of the proposal to construct a Chinese railway from Cauton to Whampoa and to Amoy, I have the honour to transmit the inclosed copy of a letter I have addressed to His Majesty's Minister at Peking covering copy of translation of an extract from a local newspaper under date of the 28th ultimo regarding this project.

Sir,

I have, &c. (Signed) F. D. LUGARD.

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Governor Sir F. Lugard to Sir J. Jordan.

Government House, Hong Kong, November 8, 1907. REFERRING to your despatch No. 102 of the 12th October, 1906, addressed to His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (copy of which has reached me through the Colonial Office) and to previous correspondence with Sir M. Nathan on the subject of the projected lines between Canton and Amoy and Canton and Whampoa, I have the honour to inciose translation of a paragraph which appeared in a local paper named the "Tsun Wan Yat Po" of the 28th October last.

2. Since the date of your Excellency's despatch referred to, the final Loan Agree- ment for the Kowloon-Canton Railway has been signed, and under Article 15 of that Agreement China undertakes not to build any line to the detriment of the Canton- Kowloon Railway. The proposal stated to have been made by his Excellency Cheung is said to be based on the argument that the Canton-Amoy line will take the same route to Canton as the Kowloon Railway, and it appears to have been admitted, at least inferentially, by the Wai-wu Pu that such a line, or one to Whampoa, would be detri- mental to the interests of the Kowloon-Canton line.

I am

3. I have therefore the honour to request your Excellency to take such steps as you may consider best to bring this matter to the notice of the Chinese Government, and to obtain from them a clear undertaking to respect the terms of the Agreement. forwarding a copy of this despatch to the Cousul-General at Canton, and to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

[2768 -1]

I have, &c.

(Signed)

F. D LUGARD.