CO129-360 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 45

This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.] 44

CHINA RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[44934]

No. 1.

[December 24.]

SECTION 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received December 24.)

(No. 541. Confidential.) Sir,

Peking, December 3, 1908. WITH reference to my despatch No. 467 of the 22nd October last, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith a copy of a despatch from the Acting Consul- General at Mukden respecting the trade routes between Fakumen and Hsinmintun and Fakumen and Tiehling.

The information supplied by the Acting Commissioner of Customs at Mukden, and summarized by Mr. Willis in his despatch, confirms the conclusion already drawn by Sir Alexander Hosie that the proposed extension of the Chinese railway from Hsinmintun to Fakumen in no way threatens the carrying trade of the Japanese line from Tiehling. Practically the whole of the produce which would be handled by the projected railway comes from the country to the west of Fakumen-Hsinmintun road, and, under present conditions, is transported by cart along that road, or by boat down the Liao River, and does not go near the Japanese line. The tendency is even towards the adoption of a more westerly route, and produce is now being carried in increasing quantities viâ Hsin Shui Hotzu, 90 li to the west of Fakumen, as the country in those regions is gradually being brought under cultivation.

is

The sketchi map mentioned in the last paragraph of the inclosed despatch has not reached me, but the position of the towns in question is so well known that a map hardly needed for a proper understanding of the subject.

I have also received the Memorandum of the Acting Commissioner of Customs upon which Mr. Willis' despatch is founded. I have not thought it necessary to inclose it, because Mr. Grone's views and conclusions are fully and accurately summarized by Mr. Willis, and also because the former gives expression to general considerations of a political and historical nature which are extraneous to the point at issue,

I have, &c. (Signed)

J. N. JORDAN.

2

Inclosure in No. 1.

Acting Consul-General Willis to Sir J. Jordan.

(No. 76. Confidential.) Sir,

Mukden, November 24, 1908. IN the hope of supplementing and confirming the information gathered by Sir Alexander Hosie during his recent visit to Fakumen and Tiehling, I have the honour to submit the following brief report on the Fakumen-Hsinminton and Fakunnen- Tiehling trade routes, which has been gathered from information given me by Mr. F. Dawson Gröne, the Acting Commissioner at Mukden, who has just returned from a journey through the district.

The road from Hsinmintun to Fakumen passes over flat country as far as Hsiao Tatzu, distant 85 li from Hsinmintun; between this point and Fakumen lie a series of low rolling hills, which form no obstacle to cart traffic. The volume of trade passing along this route is described by Mr. Gröne as enormous, consisting mainly of grain, beans, and hemp proceeding southwards. Much of this produce is carried by the railway after arrival at Hsinmintun, but there is still a considerable cart traffic between Fakumen and Newchwang.

Large as the trade appears to be, the number of inns in decay passed along the road show signs that it has fallen off in recent years, Mr. Gröne's explanation being that large tracts of country to the west of Fakumen are gradually being brought under cultivation, and the main trade of Mongolia is now passing from Chang Chia-tun to Hsinmintun viâ Hsiu Shui Hotzu, distant 90 li westwards from Fakumen. The number

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