This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]"
1859
1625 SEP 09.
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[September 7.]
SECTION 2
496
[33785]
No. 1.
Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan,
(No. 145.) (Telegraphic.) R.
Foreign Office, September 7, 1909. I TOLD Japanese Ambassador to-day that you had ascertained tentatively that Chinese were not disposed to entertain Japanese participation in Tsitsihar Railway.
Ambassador asked whether Chinese were likely to push the railway. I said they had not made this clear; if they were thinking of applying to Americans or others, it was not likely that they would tell us,
Ambassador asked me to support Japanese participation if necessary. I said I should do nothing till the question was brought before me again, in which case I should take the line that, so long as Japanese Government was willing to come to agreement about railway development in Manchuria, the proper course was for the Chinese to agree with Japan as to terms which would safeguard South Manchurian Railway from unfair competition.
Ambassador said that Tsitsihar Railway would to some extent damage Japanese South Manchurian Railway, but Japanese participation in former would be some compensation for this.
Above is for your information in case of new developments.
(Repeat to Tokyo.)
[2413 g-2]
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