CO129-492 - Governor Sir Clementi - 1925 [12] - 1926 [1-5] — Page 508

490

Su abo 12894 & 12714

The importance to Hong Kong and to British

interests generally of connecting the Canton-Kowloon

railway (Chinese section) with the Canton section of

the Canton-Hankow railway is axiomatic, and we can regard the case as proved. It is only by this means

that Hong Kong can adequately tap the large area lying

to the North of Canton. At present goods sent by

railway from that area to Canton have to be unloaded at

the terminus and carried by water either to some point

on the Canton-Kowloon railway or to Hong Kong itself, or the an lost cutimely if Hong Kong trade.

It is anticipated that Lord Willingdon will make

some recommendation for the completion of the Canton- Hankow railway, and there is a proposal to the effect

that five million dollars should be allotted from the

Boxer Indemnity funds for this purpose; but the

importance to Hong Kong of connecting the two railways

remains the same whether or not the Canton-Hankow

railway is completed. This is a point which we shall

want to bring out, since I understand from informal

conversation that the Foreign Office are rather inclined

to the view that while if Lord Willingdon's proposal

as to the Canton-Hankow railway is carried through

there might be a chance of the loop line connection with

the Canton-Kowloon railway being added, there would be

practically no chance of a grant being made from the

Boxer Indemnity funds if the proposal was left to stand by itself. (Incidentally, I understand that owing to the difficult nature of the country the completion of the

even ai e pacified China Canton-Hankow railway would be a very awkward and

expensive undertaking).

In this despatch Sir C. Clementi summarises the

attempts which have been made in the past to force

through