CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 318

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I have accordingly instructed Mr. Willis to place himself in communication with the Viceroy and watch the negotiations on behalf of His Majesty's Government.

I avail, &c.

(No. 17.) Sir,

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Consul-General Willis.

Peking, June 26, 1909. IN my despatch No. 16 of the 30th May I forwarded to you a copy of a preliminary agreement concluded between the Russian and Chinese authorities regarding the status of the Russian railway settlements in Manchuria, together with copies of notes exchanged between the Russian Minister and the Wai-wu Pu on the same subject, in which the rights and privileges enjoyed by the subjects of all the treaty Powers on the railway land were formally recognised.

Article 17 of the preliminary agreement provided that detailed regulations regarding the municipalities and police were to be drawn up, and that the negotiation of these regulations should commence within a month.

Acting in concert with the American Minister and some of my other colleagues, I suggested to His Majesty's Government that these detailed regulations should be framed in consultation with the consuls of the treaty Powers interested in the question, and that they should receive the approval of the foreign representatives in the usual form.

This suggestion was approved by the Foreign Office and communicated by me to the Wai-wu Pu in a note, copy of which is enclosed herewith for your information.

You will see that the Wai-wu Pu informed me that the negotiation of the detailed regulations was to be opened at Harbin, and suggested that you should keep in touch with the Viceroy, and offer such suggestions as might occur to you with the view of bringing them into conformity with international requirements.

There seems now to be some doubt as to the selection of the locality for conducting the negotiations, but I shall be glad if you will place yourself in commu- nication with the Viceroy, and notify to his Excellency your readiness to undertake the task of watching the proceedings.

As soon as I hear that your good offices have been accepted, I shall send you a fuller expression of my views as to the part you should take in the negotiations.

I am, &c.

J. N. JORDAN,

{This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Govern 29050

316

AFFAIRS OF CHINA,

CONFIDENTIAL.

Tuce

69 31 AUG 09)

[August 3.]

SECTION 1.

[28638]

No. 1.

Sir Edward Grey to the Marquis de Soveral.

Foreign Office, August 3, 1909. Sir,

I HAVE the honour to inform you that I telegraphed to His Majesty's Minister at Peking the substance of the verbal communication you were good enough to make to Sir F. Campbell on the 23rd ultimo, on the subject of the Macao boundary dispute, and I authorised Sir J. Jordan to state that, while the Chinese would have our entire support in getting your Government to accept and observe any arrangements necessary to put down smuggling, His Majesty's Government were most anxious, owing to their treaty obligations with Portugal, to see the boundary question settled.

I have now received a telegram from Sir J. Jordan reporting the result of an interview he had on this subject with Liang Tun-yen, the vice-president of the Wai-wu Pu, on the 29th instant.

He reports that Liang stated that there had been only two sittings of the commission, at one of which General Machedo had made a long statement of the Portuguese case, which contained, amongst other demands which the Chinese con- sidered unreasonable, one to the effect that China should not develop the new port of Heunchow to the detriment of Macao, and he added that the Chinese commissioner had for days previously telegraphed a summary of it, together with an outline of his proposed reply, to the Wai-wu Pu who were considering the question. In these cir- cumstances Liang Tun-yen regarded the action of the Portuguese Government in appealing to His Majesty's Government as a premature attempt to put pressure on China.

Sir John Jordan goes on to point out the great difficulties under which he is labouring owing to the lack of information regarding the Portuguese case at Peking. It appears that the Portuguese Legation in that capital has neither the maps nor the evidence necessary to enable Sir J. Jordan either to form a judgment of the questions in dispute or to reinforce any arguments he may use to the Wai-wu Pu in support of his Portuguese colleague's representations. Even a copy of the Lisbon agreement of the 8th February last does not appear to have been forwarded to the legation, and you will, I feel confident, agree with me in considering that, so long as this state of affairs continues, it is exceedingly difficult for His Majesty's Minister at Peking to render any effective assistance in arranging an amicable settlement of this long- standing question.

I have, &c.

E. GREY.

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