CO129-371 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 96

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

CHINA RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[46952]

No. 1.

95

2765

REC Rre 28 JAN 10

[December 28.]

SECTION 6.

Consul-General O'Brien-Buller to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received December 28.)

(No. 24.) Sir,

Yunnan-fu, November 18, 1909.

I HAVE the honour to forward to you herewith a copy of a despatch which I have sent to His Majesty's Minister at Peking on the subject of Chinese railway under- takings in this province.

I have, &c.

P. E O'BRIEN-BUTLER.

Inclosure in No. 1.

(No. 49.) Sir,

Consul General O'Brien-Butler to Sir J. Jordan.

Yünnan-fu, November 17, 1909. WITH reference to my telegram No. 14 of the 3rd instant, I have the honour to report that the American engineers Dawlay and Hawkes arrived at Yunnan-fu on the 27th October. A number of consultations took place at once between them and the directors of the Chinese Railway Company regarding railways in Yünnan generally and more particularly the projected line to Sui-fu or its neighbourhood in Szechuan.

They have already been away from the city on two surveying excursions. On the first, which occupied three days, they examined the country as far as Ta-pan Ch'iao, 40 li (some 13 or 14 miles) to the eastward; and on the second they devoted six days to a survey of the country in a north-easterly direction as far as Sung-ming Chou, 120 li (about 40 miles) (listant.

My informant tells me that the question now to be decided is whether work shall be commenced at once on railways to the above-mentioned two places, or a complete survey of the line to Szechuan be made first. The engineers themselves think that if the latter course is pursued the company or the Provincial Government will in the end be deterred altogether from constructing the line by the enormous outlay that it would entail.

I have not as yet seen either of the two American gentlemen; they may think it advisable to avoid me, and it is possible that they have received a hint to do so.

I have, &c.

P. E. O'BRIEN-BUTLER.

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