CO129-363 - Public Offices & Others - 1909 — Page 218

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F22 2 DEC 09

In Sir John Jordan's despatch No. 365 to you of the 6th October, 1909, copy of which was sent to this Embassy, he states that the Wai-wu Pu do not altogether approve of the haste with which the negotiations have been conducted, and are likely to counsel more deliberation in the negotiations of the detailed agreement-the brake would appear to have already been applied. Should, however, the detailed agreement be sanctioned by the Emperor on the lines of the preliminary one, very energetic protests on the part of the Japanese Government and people may be expected.

I have sent a copy of this despatch by safe messenger to Peking.

I have, &c.

CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.

This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Govermectable

CHINA RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[42488]

No. 1.

[November 20.]

SECTION 2,

Sir C. MacDonald to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received November 20.)

(No. 305.) Sir,

Tokyo, October 19, 1909. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch which I have received from Mr. Gordon, acting British vice-consul at Dairen, in regard to the reconstruction of the Antung-Mukden Railway.

I have, &c.

CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.

P.S.---Mr. Gordon has sent a copy of his despatch to His Majesty's Minister at Peking.

C. M. MACD.

Inclosure in No. 1.

(No. 50.) Sir,

Acting Vice-Consul Gordon to Sir C. MacDonald,

Dairen, October 12, 1909. I HAVE the honour to report that a recent Gazette of the South Manchuria Railway Company contained a supplement altering the working time-tables of the Antung-Mukden line to allow of the running of broad-gauge trains between Mukden and Chin-shan-tun, which is about 10 miles south of the point where the Autung line crosses the Fushun branch.

The route most favoured by the engineers of the company, when the surveys had been made, was the deflection of the line westwards from Chin-shan-tun so as to join the main line at Su-chia-tun, the junction for the Fushun branch. This route was opposed by the Chinese, who wished apparently to force the Antung line to cross directly over the Fushun branch. As they claim that the Antung line is not an integral part of the South Manchuria Railway, this would give them a precedent for the crossing of the Hsin-min-tun line over the South Manchuria Railway at Mukden itself, and enable them to prolong this line into the city. To prevent this, the South Manchuria Railway Company has constructed two curves, one from Hun-ho station (between Mukden and Su-chia-tun) to the Fushun branch, and the other from the Fushun branch to the Antang line. Consequently, when this latter is reconstructed, the trains will have to run over the metals of the Fushun branch for a short distance, thus leaving the South Manchuria Railway Company master of the situation.

I enclose a sketch-map* of the lines in the vicinity of Mukden, which will make the position clear,

I have, &c.

E. L. S. GORDON.

se Jum

* Not reproduced.

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