CO129-470 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 191

!

}

881

3

189

IKIM OKA EMaou zenito

BJARGONHOO

(308801)

10 et ab at 6OMIE

TOT: bevies. ..

Įsa yo bosteyou

en monk yIDIG

nto ne budet var

G

15. molt

IDe..

BE

7

EJ

* Der Igno

Hoɔd yd bɛu THE

*

declaration is an infringement of the following undertaking

previously given to the Marconi Company on the 8th April, 1914:

The Chinese Government hereby undertakes to authorise the

Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company to float a 5 per cent, gold

loan without security for 2,000,000 1, on behalf of the Chinese

Government for the purpose of installing wireless telegraph

apparatus on the Marconi system at such time in the future 88

the Chinese Government may direct, This is a preliminary

understanding and is subject to and requires final ratification

by a formal communication through the Wai-chiao Pu to the

British Minister at Peking".

Though it is true that this preliminary understanding

never materialised, yet Sir J. Jordan had on the 30th February,

1918, 1.8., a fortnight before the monopoly declaration, formally

placed on record, in a memorandum he gave to the Japanese Chargé

d'Affaires, the fact that the only wireless telegraph concession

which could be said to exist in China at that date was that of

the British Marconi Company. In spite of this, however, the

Japanese Government proceeded immediately to make use of the

information contained in this memorandum to erect, as Mr J.

Jordan puts it, a secret barrier - in the shape of the monopoly

declaration of the 5th March against any further competition

from the prior rights of the British company.

J

2. Sir J. Jordan's despatch No.259 of the 5th June, received

here on the 2nd August, encloses the text of the agreement betwe01

the Chinese Government and the Marconi Company signed on the 24th

May and officially communicated to His Majesty's Legation on the

4th June, constituting the Chinese National Wireless Telegraphy

Company.

The capital of the company is to be 700,000 1, (of which

200,000 1, is paid up) divided equally between the Chinese

Government/