CO129-361 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 245

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

CHINA RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[14370]

(No. 97.) Sir,

243

C.0.

[April 17.]

15433

SECTION 2.

No?

NEGO 7 MAY OS

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.(Received April 17.)

Peking, March 3, 1909. IN continuation of my despatch No. 32 of the 19th January, I have the honour to inclose for your information copies of Reports from His Majesty's Consul at Wuhu on the subject of railways in Animi Province. It will be seen that there, as in the case of the Canton-Hankow negotiations, the question of the appointment of an Engineer by foreign lenders would appear to be the immediate obstacle to progress.

I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN.

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

(No. 11.) Sir,

Consul Goffe to Sir J. Jordan.

Wuhu, February 3, 1909. I HAVE the honour to inform you that the Shen Fao" of the 31st ultimo published the text of a telegram from Chou Hsueh Ming, President of the Anhui Railway Bureau, to Wu Ting Pin, one of the leading gentry here, stating that he had arranged for a loan and asking that a representative might be sent from here to assist in drawing up the contract. Wu Ting Pin replied that it was essential that the three following points should be observed :-The lenders to have no rights either in: (1) the appointment of an Engineer-in-chief; (2) the selection of the employés or management of the Company; or (3) the purchase of materials. On the receipt of a telegraphic assurance that these conditions would be accepted a representative would be sent as requested; but Chou Hsueh Ming was at the same time reminded that the gentry at other places besides Wuhu had to be consulted.

I sent a copy of the paper to Chou Fu, and asked him if the information was correct, and, if so, who were the lenders. He replied that nothing was yet settled, and that Chou Hsueh Ming was expected here very shortly, when he would come and

see me.

I have, &c. (Signed)

HERBERT GOFFE.

(No. 15.) Sir,

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Consul Goffe to Sir J. Jordan,

Wuhu, February 12, 1909.

I HAVE the bonour to inclose herewith translation of an Auditor's Report on the Anhui Railway, the text of which was published in the "Chung Wai Jih Pao" of the 8th and 9th instant.*

The Auditor describes himself as a shareholder, and his Report reads more like the prospectus of a Company promoter seeking to attract capital than an honest statement of the result of an impartial investigation into the affairs of the Company. The cost of the station site in the General Foreign Settlement, for instance, would, according to the Regulations, be some 40,000 dollars, and if his estimate of its present value at 300,000 taels is any criterion of the reliability which can be placed on the rest of his statements, his Report is of very little practical value.

A telegram in the "Shen Pao" of the 9th instant announced that Cheng Hung Mou and Tao Hsiang, two Auditors appointed by the Board of Communications to inquire into the affairs of the Anhui Railway Company, have arrived in Wuhu.

I have, &c. (Signed) HERBERT GOFFE.

• Not printed.

[2241 -2]