CO129-361 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 592

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.121011

CHINA RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[20120]

No. 1.

RECO

AEG 24 JUN 09

[May 29.]

SECTION 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey,-(Received May 29.)

(No. 157.) Sir,

Peking, April 12, 1909. WITH reference to my despatch No. 140 of the 1st instant, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch from the acting consul-general at Canton respecting the question of official control on the Canton-Hankow Railway.

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

I have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

(No. 28.) Sir,

Acting Consul-General Fox to Sir J. Jordan.

Canton, March 18, 1909. IT would appear that one of the periodical trials of strength which take place between the Central Government and the shareholders in the Canton-Hankow Railway Company has again ended in a victory for the latter.

The Canton newspapers recently reported that the Chamber of Commerce and the Committee of the seventy-two guilds had telegraphed to the director-general, Chang Chih Tung, protesting against the establishment of a government bureau in Canton and the appointment of a resident director in the person of Taotai Wong Ping Yen (

The papers now announce that Taotai Wong has been appointed Intendant of Circuit at Je Ho in Chih-li, and they take it for granted that this means that the railway appointment is cancelled and the post, presumably, abolished.

I am unfortunately unable to furnish you with any precise and reliable informa- tion as to what has actually occurred during the past six weeks with regard to this question of official control of the railway, as I have not succeeded, in spite of several attempts, in obtaining an interview with Sir Ch'entung Liang Ch'eng. However, in a letter dated the 14th instant he says:----

"I am sorry I will be too busy all this week to accept an invitation, but I hope soon I will be at leasure when I shall give myself the pleasure to call and have a good open heart talk with you. As you doubtless know the company on account of certain interference from Peking is in a somewhat critical state, and I must give all my time to its welfare.”

This conversation will form the subject of a separate report.

In the meantime I have the honour to enclose translation of an article which appeared in the Chinese newspaper "Yang Ch'eng Pao" of the 2nd March giving what purports to be the text of correspondence between the director-general, the resident director and the president of the company regarding the administration of the railway, also copies of extracts from the "Hong Kong Daily Press" of the 10th and 15th March referring to the appointment of the resident director.

The annual general meeting of shareholders is advertised to take place on the

27th instant.

The collection of the second call which began on the 1st day of the 7th moon of last year (28th July, 1908) has been of necessity, from time to time extended, until it has been decided to keep the lists open until the end of the second moon (21st March, 1909).

The most reliable estimate I have been able to obtain places the amount collected to date at just over 7,000,000 dollars, out of a total of 12,000,000 dollars due on the second call.

I have, &c.

HARRY H. FOX.

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