C. O.
34968
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
¡REG 25 OCT 09
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[36697]
1.
[October 4.]
768
SECTION 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received October 4.)
(No. 339.) Sir,
Peking, September 17, 1909. IN my despatch No. 226 of the 24th June, respecting the commercial crisis in Tien-tsin, I mentioned that it was proposed to appoint a kind of relief commission to deal with the matter, and to devise means to relieve the situation with funds to be provided by the Chinese Government. I have the honour to enclose a copy of a despatch from His Majesty's consul-general at Tien-tsin, forwarding a letter from the four British firms interested, in which they protest against the treatment of the question by this relief commission, and express the desire that their claims should be dealt with by the Chinese authorities in the usual manner, and that those debtors who cannot meet their liabilities should be declared bankrupt, and their assets distributed proportionately among their creditors.
As I stated in my previous despatch, I consider this to be the only proper means of dealing with the cases, and I have addressed the enclosed despatch to Mr. Fulford approving his proposals to address the Viceroy in support of this request of the British firms.
As I had promised Mr. Fulford, I took the opportunity of my interview with his Excellency Na-t'ung yesterday to lay the facts of the case before his Excellency, and to tell him that the British firms would have nothing to do with the relief commis- sion, and wished to have their claims decided singly on their merits in the usual manner by the Chinese judicial authorities, and not be put off by being referred to the commission. His Excellency, to my surprise, stated that this was the first be had ever heard of the commission, either in his capacity of President of the Wai-wu Pu or of acting Viceroy at Tien-tsin, but he agreed with me in my views as to the proper method of dealing with the matter, and promised to write to Tuan-fang, the new Viceroy of Chilli, to inform him of what I had said. It was agreed, however, that before taking any such action, it might be well to await the result of the representations which Mr. Fulford was making to the Viceroy locally.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
(No. 54.) Sir,
Consul-General Fulford to Sir J. Jordan.
Tien-tsin, September 7, 1909. REFERRING to my despatch No. 43 of the 5th June last, I have the honour to enclose copy of a joint letter, dated the 11th August last, which I have received from the four British firms largely, if not solely, interested in the claims against Chinese merchants in connection with the commercial crisis in Tien-tsin.
These firms confirm their previous objections to the treatment of the question by means of the relief commission described in my former despatch. They desire that their claims against Chinese be heard in the usual way, and that those debtors who have failed should be declared bankrupt and their assets distributed proportionately amongst their creditors.
I propose, subject to your approval, to address the Viceroy of Chibli in support of the claim of the British merchants to have their claims dealt with in the manner described, without reference to the commission.
The work of the commission has so far been confined to ascertaining the amounts of the claims against Chinese merchants, and the particulars of the assets of the debtor firms. I have been asked unofficially by the German consul to ascertain whether British firms would send in to the commission particulars of their claims. The Chinese Court, the Shên Pan Ting, upon my pressing British claims against the Chinese firm Tai Lung Chêng, requested me to tell the claimants to furnish the
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