6
advisable for the maintenance or improvement of the regimen of the river, when funds are available.
(5.) To co-operate with the riparian owners in respect to dredging operations to secure improved wharfage facilities. Such co-operation to take the form of dredging at reasonable rates.
10.-1.) The Whangpoo Conservancy Consultative Board, to be known shortly as the Consultative Board, shall consist of→→
(a.) Five members appointed as follows: The several Ministers at Peking of the five nations having the largest tonnage entering and clearing at Shanghai shall each determine at his discretion the means by which one member of his nationality shall be selected, and the consuls-general at Shanghai concerned shall notify the Conservancy Board of the selection made and of any subsequent changes.
(b.) One member appointed by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. The secretary will serve both boards.
(2.) The primary functions of the Consultative Board will be to watch conservancy proceedings on behalf of the commercial interests of Shanghai, and to make such representations to the Conservancy Board as it thinks proper.
To this end the Consultative Board shall be supplied with full information concerning all projected works, concerning progress of current works, and concerning finance. It will also be consulted in regard to the appointment of the engineer in charge.
(3.) In the event of the Consultative Board considering that its representations are insufficiently attended to, and that the commercial interests of the port are thereby threatened, it will refer the matter to a consular committee consisting of the consuls- general of the nations referred to in article 10 (1). If the consular committee is unable to arrange matters to their satisfaction with the Conservancy Board, they will refer the question at issue to their respective Ministers for diplomatic settlement.
11. The object of the existence of the two boards is as follows :-
(a.) To provide that the Conservancy Board, in view of its executive nature, be small, in order to expedite business.
(b.) To provide that members of the Conservancy Board be officials of the Chinese Government in view of the extensive jurisdiction, namely, to the head of tidal influence, which it is desirable the Conservancy Board should have.
(c.) To provide, nevertheless, that the commercial interests of the port be effectively represented.
It is considered that the representation as provided will be more usefully effective than would be the case were the representatives ol commercial interests on the Conservancy Board.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
([B]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[6130]
No. 1.
0 0
7234
. [February 20.]
SECTION 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received February 20.)
(No. 39. Confidential.) Sir,
Peking, January 27, 1911. REFERRING to my telegram No. 8, Confidential, of the 11th instant, I have the honour to report the substance of a conversation I had yesterday with Mr. Straight on the subject of the American loan.
In reply to my enquiries as to what progress he was making, Mr. Straight said, "None at all." The Japanese and the Russians had blocked the whole business. He had documentary evidence to prove the part the Japanese had played, and both they and the Russians bad made verbal representations to the Wai-wu Pu threatening to demand the appointment of Russian and Japanese advisers if any American were entrusted with the supervision of the expenditure of the loan funds.
The Japanese Legation, Mr. Straight asserted, had entered into communication with certain members of the Senate, and had actually prepared the text of a memorial which it was intended to present to the Throne on the subject. Mr. Straight had himself seen the Japanese version of this document.
The result was that Duke Tsai Tse, at a sceret session of the Senate convened for the purpose, had given an undertaking that no foreign financial adviser would be appointed.
Mr. Straight still seemed to have some hope of arriving at an arrangement, but as our conversation was interrupted at this point I had no opportunity of ascertaining how he proposed to cffect his object.
I have, &c.
[1909 u-1]
J. N. JORDAN.
O
403
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.