CO129-471 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 175

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

174

CHINESE LOANS AND CONCESSIONS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[F 1304/181/10]

No. 1.

[April 12.]

SECTION 4.

ॐ

36321

Sir. B. Alston to Earl Curzon.(Received pal 12.)

(No. 102.) My Lord,

Ke Peking. February 23, 1921. WITH reference to my telegram No. 521 of the 8th December last on the question of the negotiations which are now pending between the Chinese Government and the foreign cable and wireless interests in China, I have the honour to enclose a resolution regarding wireless, passed by the recent Conference of the Associated British Chambers of Commerce.

This resolution emphasises the importance of wireless installations from the point of view of commercial development and the views of the Chambers of Commerce will be of exceptional interest at the present moment. (Copy to Department of Overseas Trade}

Enclosure in No. 1.

I have, &c.

B. ALSTON.

Sir,

Mr. Mackay (British Chambers of Commerce in China) to Consul-General,

Shanghai.

Shanghai, January 12, 1921.

I HAVE the honour to request that you will be good enough to transmit to His Majesty's Minister at Peking the following resolution passed at the recent Conference of British Chambers of Commerce in China and Hong Kong -

"That in view of the fact that the Hong Kong Government has approved the use of diaphones and wireless position-finders as used in European, American and Canadian waters, and intends shortly to install these at the approaches to Hong Kong Harbour, this conference is of opinion that China through the Maritime Customs should similarly install such aids to navigation on the China coast.

"Further, that weather signals and cable communications should be considered in connection with the wireless position-finders, more especially in view of the recent frequent stoppages of the Swatow-Hong Kong-Shanghai telegraph services, and that a suficiently powerful wireless installation should be established at Swatow in conjunction with one at Hong Kong at the earliest possible moment to provide telegraphic and wireless communication with Hong Kong and other places, which is at present inadequate."

As pointed out by Mr. Holyoak in his introductory speech, this resolution falls under four headings:-

1. The establishment of diaphones and wireless position-finders on the China coast 2. Increased weather signals and communications along the coast.

3. Establishment of increased cable services or a powerful wireless station at

Swatow.

4. Establishment of a powerful wireless station at Hong Kong.

It is unnecessary for me to enlarge on the urgent advisability of providing the additional safeguards specified under the first and second headings. Steamship traffic on the China coast continues to increase, and any measure that can be devised to reduce the perils of navigation in these dangerous waters must necessarily appeal to every one interested in the foreign and interport trade of China. I feel sure, therefore, that His Majesty's Minister will do what he can to support these recommendations, and will endeavour to secure the consent of the Chinese Government to their adoption at the earliest possible moment.

The extremely unsatisfactory position in which Swatow is placed in the matter of telegraph communications formed the subject of a resolution at last year's conference

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