CO129-471 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 775

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This may or may not be true, but I cannot ask my engineers to go out until this point has been cleared up.

This order would affect us, because quite apart from the agreement my syndicate have acquired options over several privately-owned properties said to contain coal, one or two of which we have already examined, and we are anxious to examine

the rest.

My point in obtaining options over privately-owned property is to utilise my engineers and drilling staff, in proving certain fields by boring, pending the time of the question of the agreement being settled one way or the other.

I must point out that none of the privately-owned properties are of a sufficient area to make it worth our while to open them up as a coalfield, and much larger areas would have to be acquired if the fields were proved, but it would enable us to keep going in the meantime.

All my staff are in possession of Chinese passports, and I would be extremely grateful if, without giving the foregoing information away, you could obtain a definite promise from the powers that be that my engineers will not be molested when looking over the land. It seems to me a rather high-handed proceeding if these instructions to the magistrates have been issued in view of the fact that my staff always have been in possession of Chinese passports, in which they are distinctly forbidden to survey.

With kind regards and sincere thanks for all you have done for us.

Believe me, yours sincerely,

L. CASSEL.

FROM

1921

HONG KONG

DATE

to

20 Dec.

FOR CIRCULATION:-

Mr. Beckett Mother To this

Mr.

Mr. Grindle

Sir E. Lambert

Sir H. Brad

Birşık Makiálton Smith,

Mr. Wood

SUBJECT

'RE

773

CO

63084

Ree: 21 050 21

Cassel coal minnig Concession

& copy-deaps from leking repy.

Enclosure 15 in No. 1.

Consul-General Jamieson to Major Cassel.

My dear Cassel,

Canton, July 25, 1921. YOUR letter of the 23rd instant. Can you procure a copy of the alleged instructions to magistrates preventing your engineers from examining reputed coalfields, or can you give me a case of interference with them when examining those properties, which you say you have already examined? Most of the Provincial Government are away at the wars, and to approach: Ministers or Vice-Ministers of the Republic of China would simply be to ask for trouble.

You may take it that the Kwangsi Party are down and out, and the sooner you get into touch with the Provincial Government of Kwangtung the better.

Yours sincerely,

J. W. JAMIESON.

0

Mr. Churchill

pig

مله

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