CO129-371 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 573

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.] 570

CHINA RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[11197]

No. 1.

[April 2.]

SECTION 3. 550

¡RECA (RES 28 IPK 10

Mr. C. S. Addis to Foreign Office.-(Received April 2.)

Dear Mr. Greg,

I ENCLOSE, for your information, copies of correspondence re Hukuang Railway,

London, April 2, 1910. referred to in our conversation over the telephone yesterday.

Yours truly,

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

C. S. ADDIS.

Dear M. Urbig,

Mr. C. S. Addis to Herr Urbig.

London, March 30, 1910. I ENCLOSE copy of Hillier's telegram of date. As I understand it, what has happened is this: an application by native capitalist in terms of the edict of the 30th January has now been accepted by the Government under pressure from the provinces. Accordingly, the syndicate of native capitalists is now authorised by a fresh Imperial edict to register as a company and to raise the requisite share capital for the Hupeh Railway. The second edict of the 29th March appears, therefore, to be the logical complement of the first edict of the 13th January, against which a joint protest was lodged by Germany, France, and Great Britain on the 12th February.

Under these circumstances it appears to me that the Ministers of the three Powers should be instructed to draw the attention of the Wai-wu Pu to this fresh breach of the Hukuang Railway agreement of the 6th June and to press for a reply to the identic note presented by the Powers on the 12th February.

Yours truly,

C. S. ADDIS,

[Note.--An identical letter to the above was also sent to M. Simon, of Paris, on the

same date.]

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

Herr Urbig to Mr. C. S. Addis,

(Telegraphic.)

Berlin, April 1, 1910. ADDIS, care Boniface, London. Instructions will be wired to-day to German Minister according to contents your letter 30th. Situation China with regard to position groups becoming very complicated. I am of opinion that any steps taken Peking will have result only if enfin understanding between London, Washington, Paris can be arrived at which creates possibility of soon reopening negotiations and of joint pressure on Chinese to sign contract June.

Enclosure 3 in No. 1.

M. Simon to Mr. C. S. Addis.

Cher Mr. Addis,

Paris, le 31 mars, 1910. JE trouve cet après-midi, à mon retour de Nice, où je viens de passer quelques jours, votre lettre d'hier et son annexe, ainsi qu'un télégramme de M. Saint-Pierre, me donnant les mêmes nouvelles. Je pense, comme vous, que les Ministres à Pékin des trois Puissances doivent protester contre cette nouvelle violation du contrat du 6 juin, 1909. Je ne manquerai pas de faire dès demain les démarches nécessaires au Quai d'Orsay, et je vous tiendrai informé de leur résultat.

Croyez-moi, &c.

[2706 b-3]

S. SIMON.