This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[37715]
No. 1.
24. NOV 00 [October 30.
SECTION 1.
Colonial Office to Foreign Office.-(Received October 30.)
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 Sir Edward Grey, with reference to the letter from the Foreign Department of the 22nd instant, a copy of a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong, with inclosures, on the subject of the Chinese section of the Canton-Kowloon Railway.
Downing Street, October 29, 1908.
(Confidential.) My Lord,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Governor Sir F. Lugard to the Earl of Crewe.
Government House, Hong Kong, September 14, 1908. IN your despatch of the 3rd ultimo your Lordship asked to be kept informed of progress on the Chinese section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway. I alluded to this matter in my despatch of the 6th ultimo on the subject of the joint Working Agreement, and I have now the honour to inclose a copy of Minute by Mr. G. W. Eves, dated the 11th instant, giving later information.
2. In this connection I may refer your Lordship to remarks made by Mr. P. H. King, Commissioner of Customs at Canton, on this subject in his Annual Trade Report for 1907, to the effect that, whether or not the line gets through to the Kowloon shore, China is safeguarded against loss in the fact that the East River traffic alone will be quite sufficient to secure commercial success, besides the possibility, by a branch extension from Weichow, of bringing Canton into direct communication with Swatow and the productive districts of Eastern Kwangtung. Unfortunately the British section has no such security, and depends for its success entirely upon through connection with Canton and the prolongation northwards to Hankow and Peking. I have little doubt that the construction of the line from Hankow to Canton will create a demand for access to a good port, and I much regret the delay which has taken place in the construction of that line.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
F. D. LUGARD.
P.S.-I inclose copy of despatch, dated the 9th instant, addressed to Sir John Jordan, which has just been received from His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General at Canton.
F. D. L.
Hon. Colonial Secretary,
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Minute by Mr. G. W. Eves.
AT the Canton end land is being bought rather quicker than formerly, so quick, in fact, that the Engineer-in-chief told me he could hardly put on coolies fast enough. Four or five bridges have been started, as well as four or five houses for the staff to live in.
Elsewhere the purchase of land is still very slow.
Mr. Grove hopes to open from Canton to Sheklung in about eighteen to twenty-one months, but, owing to the primitive methods of transport on the Samchun-Sheklung length, he does not think he will be ready to open through for about three years.
September 11, 1908.
[1983 gg-1]
(Signed) G. W. EVES, C.R.E.
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This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Gov 2997
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[37715]
No. 1.
24. NOV 00 [October 30.
SECTION 1.
Colonial Office to Foreign Office.-(Received October 30.)
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 Sir Edward Grey, with reference to the letter from the Foreign Department of the 22nd instant, a copy of a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong, with inclosures, on the subject of the Chinese section of the Canton-Kowloon Railway.
Downing Street, October 29, 1908.
(Confidential.) My Lord,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Governor Sir F. Lugard to the Earl of Crewe.
Government House, Hong Kong, September 14, 1908. IN your despatch of the 3rd ultimo your Lordship asked to be kept informed of progress on the Chinese section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway. I alluded to this matter in my despatch of the 6th ultimo on the subject of the joint Working Agreement, and I have now the honour to inclose a copy of Minute by Mr. G. W. Eves, dated the 11th instant, giving later information.
2. In this connection I may refer your Lordship to remarks made by Mr. P. H. King, Commissioner of Customs at Canton, on this subject in his Annual Trade Report for 1907, to the effect that, whether or not the line gets through to the Kowloon shore, China is safeguarded against loss in the fact that the East River traffic alone will be quite sufficient to secure commercial success, besides the possibility, by a branch exten- sion from Weichow, of bringing Canton into direct communication with Swatow and the productive districts of Eastern Kwangtung. Unfortunately the British section has no such security, and depends for its success entirely upon through connection with Canton and the prolongation northwards to Hankow and Peking. I have little doubt that the construction of the line from Hankow to Canton will create a demand for access to a good port, and I much regret the delay which has taken place in the construction of that line.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
F. D. LUGARD.
P.S.-I inclose copy of despatch, dated the 9th instant, addressed to Sir John Jordan, which has just been received from His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General at Canton.
F. D. L.
Hon. Colonial Secretary,
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Minute by Mr. G. W. Eves.
AT the Canton end land is being bought rather quicker than formerly, so quick, in fact, that the Engineer-in-chief told me he could hardly put on coolies fast enough. Four or five bridges have been started, as well as four or five houses for the staff to live in.
Elsewhere the purchase of land is still very slow.
Mr. Grove hopes to open from Canton to Sheklung in about eighteen to twenty-one months, but, owing to the primitive methods of transport on the Samchun-Sheklung length, he does no think he will be ready to open through for about three years.
September 11, 1908.
[1983 gg-1]
(Signed) G. W. EVES, C.R.E.
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