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our contemporary terms success, that is, a promise was given never to alienate the island of Hainan. 'Finally, in consequence "of the cession of Kiaochau to Germany, "the occupation by Russia of Port Arthur "and Talienwan, and the advantages of "various descriptions accorded to Great 'Britain, we also had to make effective the "titles that we possessed to positive guarantees of the friendship of China." Accordingly a lease of Kwangchauwau was acquired and a guarantee of the inalienability of the provinces of Yunnan, Kwangsi, and Kwangtung. This guarantee is in terma practically identical with those in which the guarantee given to Great Britain respecting the non-alienation of the Yangtsze Valley is given.. The precise value to be attached to such guarantees is a point still to be deter- mined. Recent proceedings in Parliament show that the point as affecting the Yangtsze Valley has been exercising the minds of our legislators, but without leading to much enlightenment. It will be remembered, too, that it
was stated in the House of Commons the other day that a guarantee identical with that given to France had been given to Great Britain in respect of the provinces, of Yuuuan, Kwangsi, and Kwangtung, and seeing that similar guaran- tees might be given to any number of Powers they cannot be regarded as in themselves setting up spheres of influence. This is recognised by our French contemporary, which says that the guarantees up to this point" constitute a privilege of a purely negative order. It was necessary to give them positive and practical applications. "Thus conjointly with their properly political action our representatives at Peking used all their efforts to assure to France the usufruct of a domain the real ownership of which we did not wish to pass into other hands." Accordingly, a concession was obtained for the Compagnie de Fives-Lille for the construction of a railway from Langson to Lungchów, to- gether with a promise of a further conces- sion for a line from Lungchow to Nanning and Pose. Thus n route of penetration into Kwangsi was obtained. The same was necessary for Yunnan. An arrangement was therefore made that China should improve the channel of the Upper Red River and repair the roads leading to the provincial capital. On the 9th April, 1898, a further concession was made. In a despatch to M. DUBAIL the Tsungli Yamen declared that "The Chinese Government "accords to the French Government or to a French Company to be designated by the latter the right to construct a railway "from the Tonkin frontier to Yunnaufu, "the Chinese Government having no charge beyond supplying the land for the rond "and its dependencies. The trace for this "line is now being made and will be fixed "hereafter by agreement between the two Powers." Further, in a despatch dated 28th May, 1898, M, PICHON announced to M, HANOTAUX that "The Chinese Government 'has consented to our demands for a rail- way from Pakhoi to the West River. It "is understood that none but a French or
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GREAT BRITAIN AND RAILWAY GUARANTEES IN CHINA,
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with British capital, of British material, and remain as regards their working under- British control?
vernment for the exploitation of its mines "shall apply for the assistance of French engineers and mechanics." With re- ference to the latter, point we think it may Lord SALISBURY says that if Brit be at once taken for granted that the British ish capitalista come forward Her Government would not accept such a read- Majesty's Government will do all in its ing of this agreement as would exclude power to obtain for them concessions British mining enterprise from the Kwang for the work they undertake. That is all tung province. With reference to railways very well in its way, but it is a very small Great Britain might advantageously follow way. One would not look for a return of the formula adopted by the French and more than six or seven per cent. at the out- demand for the British Government or a Bri- side from a railway, and that does not tish Company to be nominated by it the con- afford sufficient inducement to capitalists cession for a railway from the Kowloon to run the risks involved in making border to Canton and beyond. A study of a railway in a foreign country without a the French correspondence emphasises the Government guarantee. In such case the necessity for marking out spheres of in-capitalist is exposed to the risk of ruination fluence, otherwise, wherever British enter- if things go wrong, whereas to a Govern- prise turns in China it may be confronted ment the financial risk involved in a railway with paper concessions obtained by other guarantee is a mere fleabite. Seeing, then, nationalities for the express purpose of that railways in China are more important obstructing and thwarting it. If we decline to Great Britain from the point of view of to recognise spheres of influence we may national interests than merely as a means see foreign railways brought right up to our
f investment for capitalists it seems reason- Kowloon boundary, or if the lines them-able that the Government should assume selves are not constructed the applications so much responsibility as may be necessary of British subjects to construct them may to induce capitalists to come forward. be refused on the ground that concessions Also it would be much easier for the Gov- have already been granted to other parties. erument to obtain concessions for itself, which it might subsequently hand over to a company, than to obtain them for a company in the first instance without any formal Government guarantee. If a com- pany has to be formed in the first instance its plans must necessarily be disclosed, with the result that rival plans and rival routes are put forward, bribery is imported into the matter, and the result probably is that the final decision is not that which prudence and integrity would dictate. A Government, on the other hand, having made up its mind as to what 18 desirable, can secure it quietly and effect- ually, without encountering resistance, as Frauce obtained the concession for a railway from Pakhoi to Nanning, with a further un- dertaking that no line starting from Pakhoi for any other point should be made by other than a French or Franco-Chinese company. Why should not the British Government in the same way obtain in its own name a con- cession for a railway from Kowloon to Nan- ning? Having obtained such a concession there would be no difficulty in getting a company to take it up with a very moderate guarantee. The matter is urgent, because if the French line from Pakhoi to Nanning is constructed it will soon throw out branch lines and lead to the inception of larger plans, so that by the time an unaided Brit- ish company is ready to undertake the Kowloon line it may find the ground already cut from under its feet.
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(Daily Press, 6th September.) In his speech in the House of Lords on the 1st August on the subject of railway concessions in China, while arguing generally against the giving of guarantees by the British Government, Lord SALISBURY supplied at least one argument that tells very strongly in the opposite direction. "You must bear in mind, "said the noble lord, that in all new countries English capital has hitherto not entered upon railway enterprise, you may say generally, with out the assistance of a Government guar- In India, populated, wealthy, orderly as it is, every railway of import ance has been made with a Government guarantee. In South America, where there is an enormous mass of British capital invested in the railways, in almost every case the undertaking was begun by "the concession, or the promise from the "Government, whichever it was, of a Go- vernment guarantee. You will get no guarantee of that kind from China; in the "first place, because they do not very "much wish for railways; and, secondly, "because I do not think they have "the
money.' In that case, why should not the British Government supply the guarantee? Because, says Lord SALIS- BURY, the British Government cannot do so without departing from every tradition it has hitherto observed. Then let the Gov- ernment depart from its traditions. But there is in truth no tradition on the subject to depart from; the use of the word in such a connection is altogether mistaken and unjustifiable. We have to deal with an absolutely new set of conditions, where we have neither history nor tradition to guide us and must rely on reason and experiment. "Franco-Chinese company may construct Seeing that, as Lord SALISBURY reminds us, any railway starting from Pakhoi." Iu railways have not been constructed even in concluding its summary our contemporary India without a guarantee; that railways in says:-"Finally, our economic position in China are an urgent requirement and would "the three provinces bordering upon Tonkin in all probability pay well; and that was consolidated by paragraph 2 of the other Governments appear to be willing to agreement of the 12th June, 1897, which give guarantees in order to secure railway stipulated that, conformably to article 5 concessions for their nationals; giveu all "of the Supplementary Commercial Conven- these conditions does it not seem desirable "tion of the 20th June, 1895, in the three that the British Government should also "Southern provinces of Kwangtung, be prepared to give guarantees, in or
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But after all, in effect naks Lord Salis- BURY, does it very much matter? Reply- ing to Lord KIMBERLEY he asked him if he had satisfied himself that the construction of a railway in a country will give you political power in that country, and went on to say:-"I do not know on "what precedent that very popular doctrine " is founded. We have an admirable rail- way, the chairman of which is a well "known member of this House-the Smyrna railway. I believe that is one of the few Turkish lines which pay, but I never- "heard that the construction of that line by "British capital, or its management by "British directors, has given to England the slightest control over the Asiatic provinces of Turkey. If you come to "examine it in detail I do not see
now the liberty to make a railway and to railway can give to any foreign country a political power over China," We do not believe there is any real ground to fear the in-
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