CO129-382 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 295

fare finx. of Stonghe

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

CHINA RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

CO

293

3447

[January 13.]

LC?

of 3 FEB 1

SECTION 2.

No. 1.

[1369]

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received January 13, 1911.) (No. 462.) Sir,

Peking, December 23, 1910. REFERRING to my telegram No. 200 of the 15th instant on the subject of the reported intention of the Szechuan-Hankow Railway Company to purchase light- draught steamers for use on the Upper Yang-tsze, I have the honour to enclose copy of a despatch from His Majesty's consul-general at Chengtu reporting the opening of the second annual general meeting of the above-mentioned company.

Mr. Wilkinson states that three important proposals were to come up for discussion at this meeting. The first that construction of the line from Ichang should be abandoned in favour of the line from Chungking to Chengtu, a scheme often mooted but always dropped on account of the difficulties attending the transport of railway material up the Yang-tsze Rapids between Ichang and Chungking; the second that a million taels or so of the railway company's funds be invested in the purchase of light-draught steamers similar to the "Shutung," doubtless with the object of overcoming the difficulties of transport above referred to; and the third that the railway company's funds, hitherto deposited in native banks in Shanghai and Hankow, be transferred to "trustworthy banks and commercial establishments in Szechuan," a resolution obviously inspired by the company's recent losses in connection with the failure of the Shanghai native hauks,

I communicated the information contained in Mr. Wilkinson's telegram to the agents of the British ship-building firms represented in Peking, who are taking steps to get into touch with the Szechuan Railway authorities.

The Shutung," as you are aware, was built by Messrs. Thorneycroft, and their agent here informs me that he thinks the Kiangnan Dock and Engineering Company, of Shanghai, a Chinese Government institution, who put the Shutung" together when she first came out, stand the best chance of securing the order.

In a telegram dated the 9th December, Mr. Wilkinson states that the shareholders have decided, by a majority of votes, not to continue construction from Ichang for the present beyond a place called Hsiang-chi (20 miles above Ichang), but to commence work on the Chungking-Chengtu section.

I have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

* Not printed.

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