[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.] 631
AFFAIRS OF CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[28638]
No. 1.
REC
[July 29
SECTION 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received July 29.)
(No. 128.) (Telegraphic.) P.
Peking, July 29, 1909. I HAD an interview to-day with Liang Tun-yen, and expressed to him the views of His Majesty's Government, as laid down in the final paragraph of your telegram No. 124 of the 26th instant, respecting the Macao question.
His Excellency explained that there had been as yet no more than two meetings of the commission. The Wai-wu Pu were at present engaged in considering the Portuguese case, as stated in a telegraphic summary received four days ago from their commissioner. The case had been presented by the Portuguese commissioner in a two-hours' speech at one of the sittings, and consisted largely of claims put forward with no regard to relevancy or reason, as, for example, the protest against any develop- ment of the newly-created port of Heungchow that might react unfavourably on the prosperity of the Portuguese colony. The Chinese commissioner had suggested counter-arguments which were also at present before the board, and his Excellency was of opinion that the appeal made to His Majesty's Government by Portugal was merely an attempt to exercise pressure on the Chinese, in circumstances which made such an attempt quite premature.
The lack of all necessary documents, such as a copy of the Portuguese case and of the corroborating evidence, places us at a serious disadvantage here in Peking. The Portuguese Government have made no attempt to comply with the chargé d'affaires' request for maps and papers (see concluding paragraph of my despatch No. 177 of the 12th May last).
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