This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
274
42997
[October 29.]
SECTION 1.
24 NOV 08
[37632]
Sir,
No. 1.
Messrs. Brunner, Mond, and Co. to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received October 29.)
Northwich, October 28, 1908.
WE beg to inclose herewith an account drawn up by our representative, Mr. E. S. Little, of Shanghae, for publication, respecting his tour in Manchuria and North China, the contents of which will no doubt be of interest.
Yours, &c.
(Signed)
For Brunner, Mond, and Co. (Limited),
THOMAS H. FORGAN,
Managing Director.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Report by Mr. E. S. Little respecting Manchuria and North China.
Conditions in Manchuria.
MR. E. S. LITTLE, who has recently been on an extended tour in Manchuria and North China, gives the following account of his journey
I started from Vladivostock and then came down by rail to Peking, and thence on to Hankow. In Vladivostock I found similar trading conditions to those that prevail over the Eastern part of Asia, and I was told by more than one responsible man that over 95 per cent. of the people and firms in the town had the greatest difficulty in meeting their obligations. I was taken by one Chinese merchant through street after street, in which he pointed out native hongs that owed sums ranging from 10,000 to 150,000 taels. Several foreign firms were reported to be in difficulties, with liabilities amounting in some cases to as much as 750,000 taels. Within the past few days the "North China Daily News" has reported the failure of the leading Japanese firm in Vladivostock.
A Closed Port.
The one topic of interest amongst all the merchants in the port was the subject of the closing of Vladivostock as a free port. Various dates were set for the fulfilment of the prophecy, and rumours have also appeared in the Shanghae press.
Hotels.
Vladivostock has still a great deal to learn in the way of hotel accommodation for European travellers. The present hotels may be all right for Siberian Russians, but they certainly leave everything to be desired from the standpoint of a modern European hotel. The charges, too, are excessive.
From Vladivostock to Harbin I was glad to notice considerable improvement in the cultivation of land along the line since my last visit two years ago. On that occasion I passed through a splendid country with immense possibilities, but entirely uncultivated. Now all along the line there are signs of an increased population, and that the natural advantages of the land are attracting the attention of a number of colonists, principally Koreans and Chinese. Russian soldiery were very much less in evidence than on my former visit, but on one of the stations on the Manchurian side of the frontier I was somewhat surprised to see a number of Yuan Shih-kai's foreign-drilled troops with their arms and well-filled bandoliers. A military Mandarin informed me that they had 5,000 of these troops in the neighbourhood, who were engaged in hunting down Hunghutze. This was the first sign I had seen of returning Chinese authority.
[1982 ƒ-1]
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Governm Gt.JO.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
274
42997
[October 29.]
SECTION 1.
24 NOV 08
[37632]
Sir,
No. 1.
Messrs. Brunner, Mond, and Co. to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received October 29.)
Northwich, October 28, 1908. WE beg to inclose herewith an account drawn up by our representative, Mr. E. S. Little, of Shanghae, for publication, respecting his tour in Manchuria and North China, the contents of which will no doubt be of interest.
Yours, &c.
(Signed)
For Brunner, Mend, and Co. (Limited),
THOMAS H. FORGAN,
Managing Director.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Report by Mr. E. S. Little respecting Manchuria and North China.
Conditions in Manchuria.
MR. E. S. LITTLE, who has recently been on an extended tour in Manchuria and North China, gives the following account of his journey
I started from Vladivostock and then came down by rail to Peking, and thence on to Hankow. In Vladivostock I found similar trading conditions to those that prevail over the Eastern part of Asia, and I was told by more than one responsible man that over 95 per cent. of the people and firms in the town had the greatest difficulty in meeting their obligations. I was taken by one Chinese merchant through street after street, in which he pointed out native hongs that owed sums ranging from 10,000 to 150,000 taels. Several foreign firms were reported to be in difficulties, with liabilities amounting in some cases to as much as 750,000 taels. Within the past few days the "North China Daily News" has reported the failure of the leading Japanese firm in Vladi- rostock.
A Closed Port.
♪
The one topic of interest amongst all the merchants in the port was the subject of the closing of Vladivostock as a free port. Various dates were set for the fulfilment of the prophecy, and rumours have also appeared in the Shanghae press.
Hotels.
Vladivostock has still a great deal to learn in the way of hotel accommodation for European travellers. The present hotels may be all right for Siberian Russians, but they certainly leave everything to be desired from the standpoint of a modern European hotel. The charges, too, áre excessive.
From Vladivostock to Harbin I was glad to notice considerable improvement in the cultivation of land along the line since my last visit two years ago. On that occasion I passed through a splendid country with immense possibilities, but entirely uncultivated. Now all along the line there are signs of an increased population, and that the natural advantages of the land are attracting the attention of a number of colonists, principally Coreaus and Chinese. Russian soldiery were very much less in evidence than on my former visit, but on one of the stations on the Manchurian side of the frontier I was somewhat surprised to see a number of Yuan Shih-kai's foreign- drilled troops with their arms and well-filled bandoliers. A military Mandarin informed me that they had 5,000 of these troops in the neighbourhood, who were engaged in hunting down Hunghutze. This was the first sign I had seen of returning Chinese authority.
[1982 ƒ-1]
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.