CO129-360 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 133

4

Inclosure 4 in No. 1.

Mr. Grove to Mr. May.

Engineer-in-chief's Office, Canton, September 1, 1908.

Dear Sir,

I HAVE recently opened negotiations with Deputy Soo Ching Hung Fo, Manager of the Telegraph Department of Wai Chow, with regard to the construction of a telegraph line parallel to our railway line between Canton and Sam Chun.

Our proposal is to construct a first-class line: three wires to be at the disposal of our railway and six for the Chinese Telegraph Department, railway telegraph offices being under our control on terms of Agreement similar to those in force on the Shanghae-Nanking Railway.

As you will anticipate, the idea of the Chinese Department is to supplant existing wires between Canton, Sheklung, Sam Chun, Kowloon, and Hong Kong.

My reason for putting this before you is that Mr. Soo has asked me to inquire if your Government will meet us by allowing the Chinese Telegraph Department wires (six or less) to proceed to Kowloon on your railway posts, and thence to the Hong Kong telegraph office by cable.

I understand that the Chinese telegraph communication already passes over British- leased territory and passes by cable to Hong Kong, and their idea is, I understand, to now provide for communication in the matter indicated. I may point out that the proposal is favourable to the railway from our point of view, and would facilitate construction of the telegraph line.

2. I would further mention that it would probably be necessary for the railway wires to be joined up at our junction, so that Canton could communicate with Kowloon with reference to traffic and other matters.

I have, &c. (Signed)

FRANK GROVE,

Engineer-in-chief.

Inclosure 5 in No. 1.

Sir,

Mr. May to Mr. Grove.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hong Kong, Septemebr 29, 1908.

IN reply to your letter of the 1st instant, I am directed to state that this Govern- ment is not prepared to allow the six wires of the Chinese Telegraph Department to proceed to Kowloon on British railway posts and thence to the Hong Kong telegraph office by cable, since it would introduce the principle of a foreign Government owning and working a telegraph line in British territory, but that his Excellency the Governor will be glad to make arrangements for connecting the six wires at the frontier with wires belonging to this Government to be led into offices under the control of the Hong Kong Government.

I have, &c. (Signed)

F. H. MAY, Colonial Secretary.

جمله لب العدالة

As Stibbe

3

屮

5

131

Feb-1905

I aurte to

ach the

Recept f

Eur letter f 1668709)

of the

27th fan with regard

to the future working

1

the

telegraph

Live fre

border

across

the Chinese

the Leased Territory

Kouloa

+ to state

his Lordship properes

li

that

6

defor an expresia of Opinian trois on

the oban's

the

Subject until be

2

ham M

m.ceived

the IN of stars.

apa.

Jr. J. Jordan's

despatch

before offend

rrent