CO129-560-1 Loop-line to link Canton-Kowloon Railway with Canton-Hankow Railway 19-4-1937 - 19-4-1937 — Page 6

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CONFIDENTIAL.

MINUTE OF INTERVIEW WITH MR. T.K. TSENG (VICE-MINISTER OF

RAILWAYS IN NANKING ON FEBRUARY 26th, 1937.

LOOP-LINE TO LINK THE CANTON-KOWLOON RAILWAY WITH THE

CANTON-HANKOW RAILWAY.

The se

(At this interview the Canton-Meihsien Railway project, and

the Chuchow Railway Workshops were also mentioned.

questions are dealt with in separate minutes).

Mr. T.K. Tseng informed me that General Chiang Kai-shek

at a recent interview with Mr. Chang Kia-ngau had informed him

that he had promised the British that the loop-line to connect

the Canton-Kowloon Railway with the Canton-Hankow Railway would

be constructed. General Chiang Kai-shek had told Mr. Chang

Kia-ngau that this promise had to be redeemed and had instructed

him to take the necessary steps to make the link as soon as

possible. In doing so he was however to avoid wounding local

susceptibilities, and the work was to be carried out in such a

way that it was not to appear as if it were done in execution of

instructions issued by General Chiang Kai-shek himself.

Mr. Chang Kia-ngau had accordingly decided that the

Whampoa Branch line would not cross the Canton-Kowloon line by

an overhead bridge as was planned at present, but by a level

crossing. This level crossing would be constructed in such a

way that it would be turned into an effective link with the

Canton-Kowloon line at any moment. When the construction of the

Whampoa Branch Line was completed the first suitable opportunity

would be taken to carry out the instructions of the

Generalissimo.

Mr. Tseng said he had yet had no instructions to pass

on this information, and he therefore asked me to treat it as

strictly confidential until Mr. Chang Kia-ngau informed me

himself of these developments.

He knew, however, of the

importance

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importance which British interests attached to this loop-line,

and the personal interest taken in the question by

Sir F. Leith-Ross. It was for these reasons that he gave me

this information on a personal basis as easly as possible.

I thanked Mr. Tseng for his kindness in passing on

this good news so promptly, and said that I appreciated the

conditions under which it was given. I hoped it would be

possible for Mr. Chang Kia-ngau to inform the British Embassy

officially of this development at an early date, as I was sure

it would greatly facilitate future negotiations for possible

British participation in railway development in South China.

(Sgd.) E.L. HALL-PATCH.

NANKING.

26th February, 1937.