CO129-371 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 449

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

446

AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[648]

No. 1.

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[January 6.]

Section 14 APR 10,

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.---(Received January 6.)

(No. 4.) (Telegraphic.) P.

MACAO.

Peking, January 6, 1910,

With regard to your suggestion put forward in your telegram No. 2 of the 4th instant, the President of the United States has already been proposed to Liang Tun-yen by the "Times" correspondent as a suitable arbitrator if it were considered inadvisable to lay the question before The Hague Tribunal, Dr. Morrison pointed out that many natives of Canton had resided in the United States, and that consequently they would scarcely object to the selection of Mr. Taft as arbitrator.

Liang, however, declared that the Government were awaiting the arrival of their commissioner, from whom they would obtain a report on his negotiations with General Machado. He said that they might subsequently make a further attempt to conclude a settlement by sending a special mission to Lisbon.

Na-tung informed me to-day through an official of the Wai-wu Pu that the Chinese Minister to France has been ordered home, and that the Government would do nothing until they had consulted him in view of the part he took in the negotiations at Lisbon.

The Portuguese commissioner, General Machado, proposes to leave Peking on the 11th instant.

I regret to say that I regard the above statements of Na and Liang as made merely with the object of temporizing. I fear that the Chinese Government are not disposed to agree to any form of arbitration at present, and there is no indication on their part of a serious intention to conclude a settlement.

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