CO129-360 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 528

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

523

C.O.

4

souscripteurs, les Gouvernements français et anglais sont obligés de se préoccuper davantage des intérêts de leurs nationaux et de leur industrie, qui risquent de se trouver entièrement sacrifiés dans des combinaisons de ce genre.

Nous avons appris déjà que la maison Pauling, qui représente les intérêts industriels anglais en Chine, s'est vivement émue, ainsi qu'un grand nombre des membres de la British and Chinese Corporation, de l'état d'esprit de Mr. Addis et Il appartient des négociations qu'il poursuit en ce moment tant à Paris qu'à Berlin. à la France et à l'Angleterre d'arrêter nettement les banques dans la voie où les a menées le rachat du Hankéou-Pekin, et où elles tentent de s'engager bien plus gravement aujourd'hui pour le Hankéou-Canton, où il s'agit d'une affaire nouvelle de construction de chemin de fer qui servirait dorénavant de type aux relations finan- cières de la Chine avec les étrangers. On doit évidemment trouver une formule répondant à la réalité, ménageant les susceptibilités de la Chine en ne liant pas dans le texte même du contrat les questions financières et les questions de fournitures et de personnel-c'est-à-dire, une formule intermédiaire entre l'emprunt d'État et l'emprunt de Travaux Publics. Si on ne pouvait pas la trouver, il vaudrait mieux, dans l'état actuel des finances de la Chine, lui couper tout crédit, l'entente entre les marchés de Londres et de Paris ne permettant pas de réaliser sur les autres marchés des opérations considérables ni même une série d'emprunts successifs; les petites sommes qui pourraient être prétées à la Chine en dehors de nous seraient inévitable- ment gâchées, et les banques ne perdraient rien pour ne s'être pas montrées de la plus imprudente impatience.

Le Gouvernement français est disposé à arrêter les banques dans la voie des emprunts sans garanties, et par petites tranches successives à consentir à la Chine; il serait reconnaissant au Gouvernement britannique de lui faire savoir s'il ne partage pas ses vues sur ce point, et n'est pas disposé à agir, de son côté, dans la mesure de ses moyens sur la Hong Kong Bank pour éviter de voir tous les avantages des commandes industrielles acquis à d'autres pays en raison du bas prix de leur matériel, au préjudice de ceux qui auraient fourni l'argent sans conditions ni garanties,

Albert Gate House, le 1er février, 1909.

0

CHINA RAILWAYS,

CONFIDENTIAL.

[4905]

(No. 571.)

Sir,

No. 1.

7798

[February 6.]

SECTION 1.

BroP 4 MAR 09.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.~{Received February 6, 1909)

Peking, December 21, 1908. I HAVE the honour to inclose a copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Acting Consul-General at Tien-tsin with translation of an article from a local German news- paper, giving an account of the progress made on the northern section of the Tien-tsin- Pukow Railway.

Though the information published in this article is evidently intended to present the position of affairs in the most favourable light, there is no reason to doubt that a successful start has been made by the German engineers, and that with over 150 miles of earthwork completed they have utilized the first six months of work to great advantage. Reports are not wanting to the effcet that the Chinese directorate is extravagant, and objections have been made to their system of calling for tenders for materials on the ground that none but German firms can fulfil the prescribed conditions. But the main fact remains that construction is proceeding quickly and without apparent friction, while on the southern or British section the condition of things is far from satisfactory.

My first information respecting the British section was derived from a letter of Mr. Tuckey, the Engineer-in chief, to Mr. Bland, dated the 31st July. Mr. Tuckey then reported that his Chinese Director had only just opened his office at Nanking, and was not yet prepared to advertise for tenders. The survey had, however, been begun, but could not make much progress at that season as the country was flooded. Mr. Bland's absence from Peking during September and October may account in some measure for the fact that no further news reached me respecting the southern section till the 12th December, when a private letter from the Engineer-in-chief, dated the 3rd December, was communicated to me. In this Mr. Tuckey complains bitterly of the Chinese Director, who neglected his duties, passed nearly all his time at Shanghae, and was at the same time unwilling to intrust work to his staff, with the consequence that valuable time was being lost while the country was dry for getting on with the earthwork, since no contracts could be made in his absence.

Mr. Bland informed the Director-General of these complaints on the 18th December in the course of an interview, and recorded them in writing on the 15th December, suggesting that a more energetic and efficient Chinese Director should be appointed without delay.

The Director-General appears to have received Mr. Bland's representations in good part, and promised him the fullest investigation as soon as he, the Director-General, reached Nanking, which he hoped to do by the end of this month.

I received much the same reply at the Wai-wu Pu on the 15th December, when I mentioned the disappointment, and indeed injustice, which such methods inflicted on the British Engineer-in-chief, who had already served China faithfully on the Northern Railways for many years, and who was distinguished for his ability to work together with Chinese Directors.

The Wai-wu Pu said that, as far as they knew the position, there could be no question of the Chinese Director's efficiency. He was evidently acting under orders of the Director-General, who had stated that his policy was to start everything first on the northern section, and then to go to Nanking and superintend the commencement of the British section. They would communicate to him the dissatisfaction I had expressed at the delay, and felt sure that if the Chinese Director was found to be as blameworthy as the Engineer-in-chief represented, he would be dealt with by the Director-General.

It is highly improbable that an engineer of Mr. Tuckey's experience has mis- judged his Chinese Director, who, if he is only obeying orders in doing nothing, should at least have explained the situation to his engineer. At the same time I much regret that Mr. Tuckey allowed over three months to elapse without keeping the Legation informed of the trend of affairs, which for all we knew were progressing smoothly.

Public attention was directed to this railway on the 18th December by the issue of a Decree, of which I have the honour to inclose a translation, assuring subscribers to

[2150/-1]