158
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
10573
CHINA RAILWAYS.
12-0
[February 2]
99 1
MAR 08
SECTION 2.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[6018]
(No. 39.)
No. 1.
Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan.
(Telegraphic.) P.
Foreign Office, February 22, 1908.
CANTON-HANKOW Railway. Your telegrams Nos. 41 and 45 of the 15th and 19th instant.
The following proposals of the French Syndicate, which, I understand, emanate from the French Foreign Office, have been communicated to me by Mr. Addis:
Concession for Hankow-Canton Railway to be negotiated and controlled by British and Chinese Corporation. But it is also proposed that the Concession should include the whole line from Peking to Canton, and that the French groups should be confirmed in possession of the line from Peking to Hankow, as presumably it is feared that right of repurchase may be exercised by the Chinese. It is further proposed, as this arrangement would be so much in favour of the Corporation, that the English group should bind themselves to support French negotiations to obtain contracts for-
1. An extension of the Yunnan Railway to Szechuen;
2. Another line to the Indo-Chinese frontier from Canton.
It is understood that a Franco-British Company formed under French law would eventually be intrusted with these two concerns.
I sent you yesterday by bag details of the above.
Present conditions in China in regard to Railway Concessions are entirely disregarded in the Memorandum. Mr. Addis will endeavour to persuade French group that all these projects should be dealt with on their merits as they arise, and goes to Paris to-day for this purpose. I will telegraph to you the result of his visit.
[2856 y--2]
158
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government. I
10573
CHINA RAILWAYS.
12-0
[February 2
99 1
MAR 08
SECTION 2.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[6018]
(No. 39.)
No. 1.
Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan.
(Telegraphic.) P.
Foreign Office, February 22, 1908. CANTON-HANKOW Railway. Your telegrams Nos. 41 and 45 of the 15th and
19th instant.
The following proposals of the French Syndicate, which, I understand, emanate from the French Foreign Office, have been communicated to me by Mr. Addis :-
Concession for Hankow-Canton Railway to be negotiated and controlled by British and Chinese Corporation. But it is also proposed that the Concession should include the whole line from Peking to Canton, and that the French groups should be confirmed in possession of the line from Peking to Hankow, as presumably it is feared that right of repurchase may be exercised by the Chinese. It is further proposed, as this arrangement would be so much in favour of the Corporation, that the English group should bind themselves to support French negotiations to obtain contracts for-
1. An extension of the Yunnan Railway to Szechuen ;
2. Another line to the Indo-Chinese froutier from Canton.
It is understood that a Franco-British Company formed under French law would
eventually be intrusted with these two concerns.
I sent you yesterday by bag details of the above.
Present conditions in China in regard to Railway Concessions are entirely disregarded in the Memorandum. Mr. Addis will endeavour to persuade French group that all these projects should be dealt with on their merits as they arise, and goes to Paris to-day for this purpose. I will telegraph to you the result of his visit.
[2856 y--2]
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.