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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
269 C O 39159 [September 27
SECTION 1. FC ||
[37171]
No. 1.
Sir Edward Grey to Senhor Teixeira Gomes.
Sir,
Foreign Office, September 27, 1911. ON the 28th July last Colonel Freire d'Andrade called at this Department in connection with the question of Macao, and drew attention to the fact that the Chinese authorities were attempting to obstruct certain dredging operations undertaken in order to prevent the channel from silting up. Colonel d'Andrade asked that His Majesty's Minister at Peking might be instructed to support the Portuguese chargé d'affaires with a view to inducing the Chinese Government to adopt a reasonable attitude in the matter.
In consequence of this communication I addressed a despatch to Sir J. Jordan, under date of the 10th ultimo, directing him to give such assistance as he considered desirable to his Portuguese colleague. At the same time I expressed the view that the difficulty in regard to the dredging operations might well be considered in connection with the Chinese complaints of gambling at Macão.
I have the honour to inform you that I have now recived a reply from Sir J. Jordan stating that, upon the receipt of my despatch, he instucted a member of his staff to call upon the Portuguese chargé d'affaires in order to ascertain what progress was being made with the Chinese Government as regards the improvement of Macao harbour, and to acquaint him with my view that, if the Portuguese Government were prepared to give satisfaction to the Chinese authorities in respect of their complaints with reference to gambling at Macao, there should be little difficulty in removing their opposition to the dredging operations.
M. de Brederode stated in reply that he had made no representations on those subjects to the Chinese Government, and explained that he was no longer in close touch with the Governor of Macao. It was possible, he thought, that communications had passed in regard to the harbour improvements between the Macao and Canton autho- rities, and he suggested that it would perhaps be best for His Majesty's consul-general at Canton to talk the matter over with his Portuguese colleague.
In these circumstances it is difficult, as Sir J. Jordan points ont, for him to inter- vene to any useful purpose until the Portuguese chargé d'affaires is again in communi- cation with Macao and until he is in a position to estimate the merits of the case, which is attracting much attention in the foreign and native press in China. The Chinese undoubtedly bold, Sir J. Jordan states, that the dredging operations constitute an infringement of the status quo, but, in the absence of detailed information, it is impos- sible to say whether their contention is justified or not.
In the meantime Sir J. Jordan has forwarded the correspondence to His Majesty's consul-general at Canton, as suggested by M. de Brederode, and has instructed Mr. Jamieson to render any assistance he properly can to his Portuguese colleague. For his own part, His Majesty's Minister proposes to take an early opportunity of letting the Wai-wu Pu know that His Majesty's Government are watching the course of events at Macao with close interest.
I have, &c.
[2190 dd-1]
E. GREY.
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