CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 571

со

567

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Goverment1322

AFFAIRS OF CHINA,

CONFIDENTIAL.

C

[27716]

No. 1.

RECR [REG 26 AUG 10

[August 2.]

SECTION 1.

(No. 225.) Sir,

Mr. Max Müller to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received August 2.)

Peking, July 13, 1910. WITH reference to my despatch No. 212 of the 28th ultimo relative to the Whangpoo Conservancy scheme, I have the honour to transmit herewith copy of M. de Rijko's observations, which I have received from His Majesty's consul- general at Shanghai, on the memorandum of Mr. Merrill which formed Enclosure No. 2 in my above-mentioned despatch.

In regard to the two principal works, M. de Rijke is of opinion that the jetty works at Woosung forts will probably be completed by next September, and that the work in connection with the diversion of the stream from ship-channel to junk- channel may also be said to be nearing completion. He considers that the most urgent work now requiring to be done is the dredging of the Pheasant Point convex and of the Astra Channel, and this he recommends should be done by contract, as at present, but at the same time he is not opposed to steps being taken by the board to obtain a dredging outfit of its own for the future maintenance of the waterway. In regard to Mr. Merrill's statement that "the main part of the conservancy work is completed," he points out that of the 17 nautical miles of river, only the lower 7 miles up to Black Point have thus far been taken in hand, and he describes some of the improvements which will require to be effected in the upper reaches of the river, which, for a distance of 10 miles, has never been touched at all.

M. de Rijke has some pertinent observations to make in regard to provision of the fund for carrying on the work, which, he considers, can and ought to be completed within the next three years. He criticises Mr. Merrill's proposed distribution of the additional annual sum of 300,000 taels as being disproportionately allotted to the staff, on the one hand, and to improvements and dredging on the other. He evidently thinks that the work would drag on interminably owing to the insufficiency of funds, and that it would be preferable, if the money required is not forthcoming from the central or provincial Governments, to raise a loan, wholly or partly secured on trade and shipping taxes, and even, if necessary, on taxation of land values in the international settlement at Shanghai.

I refrain from offering observations of my own on the subject of M. de Rijke's memorandum which for the most part deals with engineering technicalities outside my competence.

I have, &c.

W. G. MAX MÜLLER.

P.S.Since writing the above I have seen the despatch written by the senior consul, in the name of the consular body of Shanghai, to the doyen of the corps diplomatique, forwarding copies of Mr. Merrill's memorandum, the memorial of the two Viceroys and of M. de Rijke's remarks.

Le corps

In transmitting these documents the senior consul writes as follows:- "M. de Rijke maintient ce qu'il disait en son propre rapport du 10 avril, 1909, dont j'eus l'honneur de vous envoyer copie le 27 avril de la même année. consulaire partage entièrement sa manière de voir, et me référant à mes lettres du 19 mai, 20 août, et 23 septembre, 1909, je prends la respectueuse liberté de demander à nouveau, en son nom, au corps diplomatique de vouloir bien user de toute son influence pour amener le Gouvernement chinois à accorder les fonds nécessaires à la continuation des travaux et à la conservation des résultats acquis.

"Au cas où le Gouvernement chinois se trouverait dans l'impossibilité de se procurer la somme requise, nous ne pourrions que renouveler la proposition contenue au dernier paragraphie de ma lettre du 23 septembre, 1909, tendant à l'émission d'un emprunt garanti par une partie des droits de tonnage perçus dans ce port."

W. G. M. M.

[2862 6-1]

• Not printed.