CO129-356 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1909 [4-6] — Page 161

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

135

Peking, which have nothing to do with Hongkong, and for which they make no return to this Colony, though they have enjoyed them for the past 26 years. It is to be noted also that Mr. Dresing deprecates disturbance of the Chinese "Company's" privileges in Hongkong whereas the point which gave rise to my Despatch was that there is no longer to be a Company, and the Chinese Government itself proposes to take over control of the telegraphs.

2. Your Lordship will, I think, concur with me that this Government has some ground for dissatisfaction with the arrangements entered into by the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company with the Chinese in the past without its knowledge, and that the position will become impossible by the substitution of the Chinese Government for a Commercial Company. The arrangement was based upon a continual trespass on Crown Land by carrying telegraph poles over it without permission, and involved the location of a Chinese Official under formal agreement with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company in an office in Hongkong. It is conceivable that in time of strained relations with any other Power in the Far East, the Chinese Telegraphs under control of an Official who is independent of supervision, might be put to an improper use at the instigation

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135 Peking, which have nothing to do with Hongkong, and for which they make no return to this Colony, though they have enjoyed them for the past 26 years. It is to be noted also that Mr. Dresing deprecates disturbance of the Chinese "Company's" privileges in Hongkong whereas the point which gave rise to my Despatch was that there is no longer to be a Company, and the Chinese Government itself proposes to take over control of the telegraphs. 2. Your Lordship will, I think, concur with me that this Government has some ground for dissatisfaction with the arrangements entered into by the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company with the Chinese in the past without its knowledge, and that the position will become impossible by the substitution of the Chinese Government for a Commercial Company. The arrangement was based upon a continual trespass on Crown Land by carrying telegraph poles over it without permission, and involved the location of a Chinese Official under formal agreement with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company in an office in Hongkong. It is conceivable that in time of strained relations with any other Power in the Far East, the Chinese Telegraphs under control of an Official who is independent of supervision, might be put to an improper use at the instigation

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135 Peking, which have nothing to do with Hongkong, and for which they make no return to this Colony, though they have enjoyed them for the past 26 years. It is to be noted also that Mr. Dresing deprecates disturbance of the Chinese "Company's" privileges in Hongkong whereas the point which gave rise to my Despatch was that there is no longer to be a Company, and the Chinese Government itself proposes to take over control of the telegraphs. 2. Your Lordship will, I think, concur with me that this Government has some ground for dissatisfaction with the arrangements entered into by the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company with the Chinese in the Past without its knowledge, and that the position will become impossible by the substitution of the Chinese Government for a Commercial Company. The arrangement was based upon a continual trespass on Crown Land by carrying telegraph poles over it without permission, and involved the location of a Chinese Official under formal agreement with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company in an office in Hongkong. It is conceivable that in time of strained relations with any other Power in the Far East, the Chinese Telegraphs under control of an Official who is independent of supervision, might be put to an improper use at the instigation

2026-06-08 03:53:22 · Baseline

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135

Peking, which have nothing to do with Hongkong, and for

which they make no return to this Colony, though they have

enjoyed them for the past 26 years. It is to be noted also

that Mr. Dresing deprecates disturbance of the Chinese

"Company's" privileges in Hongkong whereas the point which

gave rise to my Despatch was that there is no longer to be

a Company, and the Chinese Government itself proposes to

take over control of the telegraphs.

Your Lordship will, I think,

concur with me that this Government has some ground for

dissatisfaction with the arrangements entered into by the

Eastern Extension Telegraph Company with the Chinese in the

Past without its knowledge, and that the position will

become impossible by the substitution of the Chinese

Government for a Commercial Company. The arrangement was

based upon a continual trespass on Crown Land by carrying

telegraph poles over it without permission, and involved

the location of a Chinese Official under formal agreement

with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company in an office

in Hongkong. It is conceivable that in time of strained

relations with any other Power in the Far East, the Chinese

Telegraphs under control of an Official who is independent

of supervision, might be put to an improper use at the

instigation

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