CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922 — Page 208

COFY.

Loan to Ch'en Chiung-mins:

reasons for request of.

VERY CONFIDENTIAL.

}

1.

Chinese Encl.

No. 9.

H.B.M. Consulate-General,

CANTO N.

March 28, 1922.

Copy to F.0., Hongkong, Joint Intelligence Bureau, H.K., Mr. A.G. Stephen, Mr. Denham.

208

serpt

ive

968.

Sir,

I have the honour to report that I this afternoon received a visit from Mr. Ku Chun, a Straits-born Chinese and M. A. of

Cambridge University, who, while not occupying any definite official position, is a young gentleman whom General Ch'en Chiung-ming frequently employs as a go-between in confidential matters. The object of his visit was to endeavour to induce me to approach those concerned for a loan of two and a half million dollars, on the security of the Civil Governor's seal and that of Provincial Treasurer, for the purpose of reacquiring

the control of the Canton Mint, It would appear that, when General Ch'en returned to Canton from Chang chow at the end of 1920, he found the Treasury empty, and a certain person named Liu Huan, whose family possess large local rice interests, advanced $2,500,000 to enable the new régime to carry on. a reward he was granted the Managership of the Mint, which is a lucrative post, said to bring in at least $10,000 per diem. Of late Liu associated with himself Liao Ch'ung-k'ai, Sun Yat Sen's Vice-Minister of Finance, and one Ch'eng T'ien-tou, said to be an architect by profession, but at present head of the Bank of Kwang tung. General Ch'en having reason to suspect that

Ae

all wes not in order with the accounts of the Mint, ordered Ma

Yo-hang

the Head of the Economic Bureau, a relation of his,

lately/

Sir Beilby Alston, K.C.M.G., C.B.