CO129-371 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 38

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

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official in charge was an expectant taotai of Canton province named Tuan Shu Yün, and, on finding his suspicions confirmed, Mr. Low pressed him to hold an investigation and deal severely with the delinquents. Tuan Taotai, who is suspected of being implicated himself, refused to do this, and proposed to simply dismiss the men in question. Low declined to accede to this, and laid the matter before the director- general.

Soon after this Tuan Taotai was transferred to the northern section, and subse- quently went to Peking, where he worked against Low. Mr. Wang, the co-director of the southern section, was then placed in charge of the land office; but he, being a weak man, declined to take the initiative in any way, and merely urged the Peking authorities to deal with the matter. Finally, as the scandal had become public, the director-general ordered the arrest of the three officials; Kuo escaped and has not been since heard of, but Ch'a and Yang are now lodged in the prefect's yamên here, At a preliminary investigation they made statements inculpating Tuan Taotai's son, and since then nothing farther has been done in the inatter.

Mr. Low told me that powerful influences are at work to have the whole matter hushed up; but he is determined to do his utmost to prevent this, as well as to have an investigation held into the operations of the first and third purchasing parties, who are suspected of similar frauds. Tuan has now obtained a substantive taotaiship in Shantung, but it is not yet certain that he is clear of the case.

There is yet another matter intimately connected with the corrupt administration of the land office. As soon as the southern terminus of the line was transferred to Nanking speculators at once bought up the foreshore on the north bank of the river. The railway company require some 4,000 or 5,000 feet of froutage, but these speculators induced the late Viceroy to allow the company ouly 2,000 feet. The present director-general is inclined to give them 4,000 feet, and has directed the land office to arrange the matter. But Wang, who is at present in charge of the office, is once of the speculators concerned, and he is now in à very awkward position. If he does not give the railway the frontage they require, he will be denounced by Low; and if he does, he will offend the other landowners there and be shown up by them. Under the circumstances it is not surprising that he is auxious to resign his position as head of the land office.

I have, &c.

HERBERT GOFFE.

CHINA RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[46367]

No. 1.

[December 21.]

SECTION 2.

M. Franequi to Mr. C. S. Addis.—( Communicated by Mr. C. S. Addis, December 21.)

60, Avenue Louise, Bruxelles, Mon cher M. Addis,

le 19 décembre, 1909. J'AI vu hier M. Simon, et si ce n'avait été que nous étions au samedi je vous aurais certes télégraphié pour vous faire connaître la situation à Paris.

La question n'est plus aujourd'hui entre les mains de M. Simon: le Gouvernement français la considère en effet comme étant une affaire exclusivement politique. M. Pichon a même déclaré que si l'entente ne s'établissait pas sur un pied d'une égalité complète il préférait rupture avec toutes ses conséquences, c'est-à-dire, une atteinte à l'entente cordiale.

Vous m'avez dit, je crois jeudi dernier, que vous aviez suggéré à M. Simon le partage de Szetchuen en quatre parts égales, et c'est ce projet qui à mon avis doit servir de base à l'accord définitif.

J'ai cru en effet comprendre que si à la dernière note que M. Cambon a remise le Foreign Office faisait les propositions suivantes, toutes les difficultés seraient aplanies:-

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1. Entente entre les quatre groupes pour toutes les affaires de chemins de fer et d'emprunts on Chine, sur la base d'une répartition exactement égale entre les quatre groupes de tous les avantages qui seraient accordés.

2. La ligne du Szetchuen et celle de Mandchourie seraient englobées dans cette entente. La ligne du Szetchuen serait divisée en quatre parts égales.

3. Pour la ligne Hankéou-Canton, seule serait incorporée dans l'arrangement la partie financière, la direction technique restant à la British Chinese Corporation.

Je vous écris tout cela au galop, en insistant sur ce fait, que j'ai la conviction que si vous ne faites pas de propositions dans les termes, si modérés, que je vous indique, de graves difficultés vont surgir entre les deux Gouvernements.

Bien à vous,

E. FRANCQUI.

N.B. Il est bien entendu que dans ces conditions les emprunts seraient inter- nationalisés.

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