CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 415

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(2.)

Mr. Addis to Mr. Hillier, Peking.

Hong Kong and Shanghae Banking Corporation, (Telegraphic.)

London, August 18, 1909. REFERRING to your telegram of the 12th, are we to understand that Americans renounce claim to appoint chief engineer for the whole of the Hankow-Szechuan Railway, future as well as present ?

30327

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

CHINA RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[31368]

No. 1.

SEP 09

413

[August 20.]

SECTION 1.

(Telegraphic.)

(3.)

Mr. Hillier, Peking, to Mr. Addis, London.

Peking, August 19, 1909. REFERRING to your telegram of the 18th, question has not been raised. Condition of negotiations through intermediary of Wai-wu Pu president precludes ail reference to questions affecting line Ichang-Chengtu.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received August 20.)

(No. 268.) Sir,

Peking, July 26, 1909. I HAVE the honour to report that the affairs of the Shanghae-Ningpo Railway were also made the subject of strong representations to the Grand Secretary Shih-hsü and Prince Ch'ing at both of the interviews mentioned in my despatch No. 267 of the 24th July.

The Grand Secretary was not well acquainted with the details of the subject, and could only say that the Board of Communications had the whole question under consideration. To Prince Ching I made a long and detailed statement of my charges in the sense of my communications to their Excellencies Hsu Shih-ch'ang and Na-t'ung, as reported in my despatch No. 234 of the 1st July, and enumerated the successive steps which I had taken during the past year to induce the Central Government to take matters into their own hands and bring the provinces to reason.

His Highness told me that he was well aware of everything I had said, and asked me to accept his personal assurance that a satisfactory solution would be arranged with as little delay as possible, in conjunction with the Board of Communications. But the situation was complicated, and for that reason he begged me not to be impatient or to press him unduly.

I reminded the Prince that I had had similar assurances a year previously on this matter, which was in the same position now as it was then, in spite of those assurances. His Highness admitted this without demur, but repeated with emphasis his assurance that the affairs of the Shanghac-Ningpo Railway were being earnestly considered by the Wai-wu Pu and the Board of Communications with a view to a speedy termination of the present difficulties.

I accepted this personal assurance of his Highness and passed on to other matters.

I have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

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