CO129-400 - Governor Sir May - 1913 [3-4] — Page 475

Y SOCOP Y.

No. 7.

tis,yodyful; to comerol and tonelisurTH 11). OJ ALSMAIGJOU

„To jag bono, cuartelt

so to goo dei sted Jiaware of women ond

Sir,

„DIVI ‚A DA MOŠIRU

Tame butonu apoivony od vovenstok

1

.VIJUJIMO to poisqirose“

od nung bL Irism0-Irproû

to 8 .ut,recuintli .4 .⠀

468

H. B. M. Consulate-General,

Canton, March 3, 1913.

In continuation of my despatch No. 5 of February

12th. I have the honour to transmit herewith copies of further correspondence which I have exchanged with the Provincial Authori- -ties on the subject of limestone and of which a precis has been

sent you by telegraph.

As reported, I proceeded to Hongkong last week and discussed the matter both with His Excellency the Governor and

the Board of Control of the Green Island Cement Company. My reply

to the Foreign Commissioner's letter is the outcome of that dis-

-cussion. I at the same time instructed Mr. Combe to take ad- -vantage of my absence and to endeavour to ascertain privately from Mr. Lo what his letter really meant and to what extent the Industrial Comissioner was prepared to meet us in so far as future supplies are concerned. This interview which took place on the 1st. instant answered no valuable purpose. Were we prepared

to state that no breach of Treaty had been committed and were the

claim for damages unconditionally withdrawn, "they would see what could be done". The desire to institute a monopoly was denied and

the old contentions that they had an inherent sovereign right to

punish contractors, who acted contrary to law, and were not bound to give previous notice of domestic legislation, advanced once more. In any case Government were not prepared to supply stone: the Green Island Company must find new contractors. Counter arguments proved of no avail and absolutely no progress was made.

The pretext, behind which in their answer they will

doubtless seek to shelter themselves, is the word illicit

applied both to the quarrying and the transport of stone in Ch'en Tu Tu's original Notification, but they will find it not easy to explain in what respect a trade carried on with the knowledge and approval of the Imperial Government for years should suddenly, at

the instance of the Canton Cement Works, be dubbed illicit, the