This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[31042]
No. 1.
35745
[September 2-001 08]
SECTION 5.
(No. 332.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received September 7.).
Peking, July 21, 1908.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 288 of the 24th ultimo, I have the honour to inclose, for your information, copies of further correspondence on the subject of the Pukow-Sinyang Railway.
On the 27th ultimo Prince Ch'ing replied to my note of the 12th ultimo, objecting that the Preliminary Agreement of the 6th January, 1899, laid down no limit of time within which the Final Agreement was to be concluded, and arguing that until the trace of the Tien-tsin-Pukow Railway was decided upon it was inadvisable to open negotiations in regard to the Hsin-Yang Railway.
I asked Mr. Bland to lay Prince Ching's views before the Board of Directors of the Chinese Central Railways. While doing so, he urged, in a letter of the 6th instant, that the reasons put forward by the Chinese Government were insufficient to justify a postponement of the negotiations, and stated that he had discretion from his principals to accept any reasonable modifications of the conditions implied in the Preliminary Agreement. I therefore wrote again to the Wai-wu Pu on the 9th instant, pressing for the appointment of a Representative to discuss the matter with Mr. Bland.
Referring to the inconsistency mentioned in your despatch No. 174 of the 3rd April last, I have the honour to inclose copy of a letter, dated the 23rd ultimo, from the Central Chinese Railways (Limited) to Mr. Bland, from which it appears that an Agreement has been come to with the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank, under which the bank shall be exclusively interested in branch lines issuing from the northern section and the British Company in branch lines issuing from the southern section.
I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Sir,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Prince Ching to Sir J. Jordan.
Peking, June 27, 1908.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's note stating, with reference to the Preliminary Agreement for the Tsin-Pukow Railway formerly concluded by his Excellency Sheng-Hsuan-huai with a British Syndicate, that the Chinese Central Railways (Limited) were ready to proceed to a Final Agreement, and requesting me to appoint officials with whom the representative of the Company might negotiate for the purpose.
The Preliminary Agreement mentioned only says that a Final Agreement may be negotiated in the future, and does not lay down a limit of time within which the Final Agreement is to be negotiated. The terms of the Preliminary Agreement are quite indefinite. Further, the trace of the Tsin-Chinkiang line has been altered to one from Tien-tsin to Pukow, and the conditions now are far different from those of the past. Although in the future there must be a branch line connecting the Peking-Hankow with the Tien-tsin-Pukow Railway, it cannot at this date be decided whether it will be advantageous to start this branch line from Hsin-Yang or from another place, seeing that the trace of the Tien-tsin-Pukow Railway has not yet been definitely fixed.
It is, therefore, inadvisable to open negotiations in regard to the Hsin-Yang Railway, and I have the honour to request your Excellency to inform the British and Chinese Corporation to that effect.
I avail, &c.
[1940 g---5]
Page 599
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Page 598
598
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Governm&t.10.
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[31042]
No. 1.
35745
[September
2-001 08
SECTION 5.
(No. 332.)) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received September 7.).
Peking, July 21, 1908. WITII reference to my despatch No. 288 of the 24th ultimo, I have the honour to inclòse, for your information, copies of further correspondence on the subject of the Pukow-Sinyang Railway.
On the 27th ultimo Prince Ch'ing replied to my note of the 12th ultimo, objecting that the Preliminary Agreement of the 6th January, 1899, laid down no limit of time within which the Final Agreement was to be concluded, and arguing that until the trace of the Tien-tsin-Pukow Railway was decided upon it was inadvisable to open negotia- tions in regard to the Hsin-Yang Railway.
I asked Mr. Bland to lay Prince Ching's views before the Board of Directors of the Chinese Central Railways. While doing so, he urged, in a letter of the 6th instant, that the reasons put forward by the Chinese Government were insufficient to justify a postponement of the negotiations, and stated that he had discretion from his principals to accept any reasonable modifications of the conditions implied in the Preliminary Agreement. I therefore wrote again to the Wai-wu Pu on the 9th instant, pressing for the appointment of a Representative to discuss the matter with Mr. Bland.
Referring to the inconsistency mentioned in your despatch No. 174 of the 3rd April last, I have the honour to inclose copy of a letter, dated the 23rd ultimo, from the Central Chinese Railways (Limited) to Mr. Bland, from which it appears that an Agreement has been come to with the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank, under which the bank shall be exclusively interested in branch lines issuing from the northern section and the British Company in branch lines issning from the southern section.
I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Sir,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Prince Ching to Sir J. Jordan.
Peking, June 27, 1908. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's note stating, with reference to the Preliminary Agreement for the Tsin-Pukow Railway formerly concluded by his Excellency Sheng-Hsuan-huai with a British Syndicate, that the Chinese Central Railways (Limited) were ready to proceed to a Final Agreement, and requesting me to appoint officials with whom the representative of the Company might negotiate for the purpose.
be The Preliminary Agreement mentioned only says that a Final Agreement may negotiated in the future, and does not lay down a limit of time within which the Final Agreement is to be negotiated. The terms of the Preliminary Agreement are quite indefinite. Further, the trace of the Tsin-Chinkiang line has been altered to one from Tien-tsin to Pukow, and the conditions now are far different from those of the past. Although in the future there must be a branch line connecting the Peking- Hankow with the Tien-tsin-Pukow Railway, it cannot at this date be decided whether it will be advantageons to start this branch line from Hsin-Yang or from another place, seeing that the trace of the Tieu-tsin-Pukow Railway has not yet been definitely fixed.
It is, therefore, inadvisable to open negotiations in regard to the Hsin-Yang Railway, and I have the honour to request your Excellency to inform the British and Chinese Corporation to that effect.
I avail, &c.
[1940 g---5]
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