CO129-361 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 66

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

CHINA. RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[10649]

(No. 50.) Sir,

C.O

12195

REGR & APR OC No. 1

[March 20.]

SECTION 3.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received March 20.)

Peking, February 3, 1909. WITH reference to my despatch No. 542 of the 3rd December, 1908, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copies of two despatches which I have received from His Majesty's Consul at Chefoo, reporting on a scheme for the construction of a railway under native auspices from Chefoo to Wei-hsien.

I have, &c. (Signed)

J. N. JORDAN.

(No. 1.) Sir,

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Consul Mortimore to Sir J. Jordan.

Chefoo, January 2, 1909. I HAVE the honour to inclose herewith an extract from "Chinese Public Opinion," which has been copied into the "Chefoo Morning Post," on the subject of the Chefoo-Wei-hsien Railway, and stating that the project is being strenuously opposed by the Germans.

In a conversation yesterday with Mr. V. R. Eckford, of Messrs. Cornabè, Eckford, and Co., he told me that the suggestion which had been put forward of building in the first place a narrow-gauge line as far as Hwang sien had been approved by the Board of Communications at Peking, but had been vetoed by the Governor as being a waste of money, and that the Directors of the proposed line had now handed him in Chinese some Regulations issued by the Board at Peking which sanctioned a line of the ordinary gauge under certain conditions. Those Regulations are being now translated, and when completed, will be submitted to Mr. Landale, of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, and Co., at Shanghae, who are joining Messrs. Cornabè, Eckford, and Co. in the matter, and an estimate is then to be given to the Directors. Until the translation has been made Mr. Eckford could not inform me what the condi- tions were, but he has promised me a copy as soon as the translation is completed. I asked him if he thought that the new Regulations had also been given to the German firms here, but he was unable to say definitely, although he thought that they had not. I hope shortly to be in a position to report more fully on the matter.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

R. H. MORTIMORE.

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Extract from " Chinese Public Opinion."

THE CHEFOO-WEI-HSIEN RAILWAY.

ONE of the most profitable railway ventures yet proposed in China is undoubtedly the scheme for building the railway connection between Chefoo and Wei-hsien, states "Chinese Public Opinion." This line will penetrate into the heart of Shantung Province, and would bring to a Chinese port the produce of a very wealthy district.

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