[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
C O
3447
CHINA RAILWAYS.
[January 13.]
* 3 FEB !!
CONFIDENTIAL.
SECTION 1.
[1373]
No. 1.
292
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received January 13, 1911.) (No. 466.) Sir,
Peking, December 27, 1910. WITH reference to my despatch No. 22 of the 12th January last, I have the honour to forward herewith a translation of the report by the Board of Communica- tions, reviewing the work accomplished by them during the first six mouths of this year.
As was the case with the last report published, the Board of Communications adopt an optimistic tone throughout which is not entirely justified by the actual
facts.
As regards progress on railway construction the account given in the report would appear to be fairly accurate, to judge from independent accounts which have reached me. The Tient-tsin-Pukow northern section, for instance, is now open for through traffic as far as Chinanfu, and the only break is the transit of the Yellow River, which has to be ferried across. It is further expected that the line will be opened to Taianfu by the 1st February. Progress on the southern section of the same railway though slow is none the less sure.
Thirty miles have recently been opened for traffic on the Canton-Kowloon Railway (Chinese section), and the engineer-in-chief hopes to be ready for through traffic to Kowloon by June next.
The reference in the report to the Peking-Hankow Railway and certain negotia- tious with the Belgian company means, I think, that an arrangement has apparently been made for the recovery of the bonds which the Belgians held. There had been some difficulty in the past with regard to this question.
I have, &c.
* Not printed.
[1855 -1]
J. N. JORDAN.
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