298
THE CANTON-KOWLOON RAILWAY.
VICEROY'S OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE WORKS.
INTERESTING GATHERING AT CANTON,
On April 7th H. E. Viceroy Chung pail an official visit to the works of the Imperial Chinese section of the Canton-Kowloon Railway at Tai Sha Tan, Canton, and laid the foundation stone of the general offices and the station building. His Exellency, ho arrived at Tai Sha Tau at eleven o'clock, was accompanied by a large number of the high officials of the city. H.E. Sir Frederick Lugard. Governor of Hongkong, honoured the occasion with his presence being accompanied by Captain Mitchell Taylor, A.D.C., ud Captain Simson. Private Secretary, the other guests including a number of foreign residents of Canton and Hongkong. Shortly after eleven o'clock the party proceeded to Tung-sham railway quarters one mile from Tai-Sha-Tan. As the procession of officials either riding in the official chairs, or mounted on shaggy ponies, followed by silk- hatted foreigners and a miscellaneous crowd of Chinese on foot passed up the track in the open country between lines of Chinese braves with rifles at the shoulder, the cap d'ail was quaintly picturesque. It was on the return of the party from this visit that H.. the Viceroy laid the foundation stone of the station building. The stone fitted down over a tin box containing copies of Chinese and foreira newspapers and specimens of the paper and metal currency of the province, His Excellency well and truly laid the stone with a silver trowel, fitted with an ivory handle. The stone bore the following inscription
CANTON KOWLOON RAILWAY Imperial Chinese Section
THIS STONE
was well and truly hid
by
1 Exe ney TICEROY CHANGHEN CHUN April 7th, 109,
Purnell & laget Architects This ceremony completed, the guests of the Managing Director and Engineer in-Chief, were invited to luncheon. Over one hundred sat down to an excellent tiffin. the catering being done by Mr. Harry Haynes and Mr. W. Farmer of the Victoria Hotel.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Yu, Mr. W. W. G. Ross, Director Chang,
{ Commander Liu, Mr. Chow, Capt. Harris, Mr. Boothby, Mr. Tigges (Vice-Consul for Germany), the Viceroy's A. D. C.. Mr. Boluszewiez (onsul for Russia), the Lieut- Colonel, Surgeon Gordon. R.N., Dr. Daren port, Mr. G. W. Eves (Engineer-in-Chief o the British section
of the line) Taota Shu (Bunding Commissioner) Mr. Wang, Taota Ling, Mr. G. T. Lloyd. Chinese Press representa tives. Mr. Watson. Mr. Tan, Mr. J. P. Braga Mr. Fung. Mr. Makins, representatives of th Imperial Chinese Bank, Mr Chow, Mr. Thomp son, Mr. Joseph Lind, Mr. Turner, Mr. Power Mr. Purnell, Prefent Kang Chow, Mr. Liang Fraser. Commander Woo, Mr. Luk, and Mr Mr. A. H. Hyland, Mr. Butler Wright, Mr
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[April 12, 1909.
understand the two Kwang provinces are 80 rich,'are developed, and the coal fields in the North are also worked, it will be of enormous advantage to the Chinese to have railway access to a great emporium of trade in which the ships of all nations of the world are lying; so that China can dispose of her coal and her ores
in and take exchange, the commodities which she desires and which are brought by Once those ships from all parts of the world. again I would say that I hope we shall realise that our interests in this railway are identical, that the greater the prosperity of the one section, the greater must be the prosperity of the other; and that a foolish and purile policy interests of those of isolation or jealousy will only defeat the who originate it. I thank you, sir, for your good wishes for the completion of the British section. I wish you most heartily success with the. Chinese section, and I hope that within, say a couple of years from now, the whole railway will H. E. WEI HAN, the Managing Director of be opened, and I venture to express the hope the Chinese section of the Railway, proposed that we shall employ these two intervening Success to the British Section of the Canton-years in learning more thoroughly the lessons of Kowloon Railway" It was very gratifying, he mutual co-operation, and that petty disputes and said, that they had with them that day H. E. jealousies are unworthy of the two great nations Sir Frederick Lngard, who, as Governor of the we represent-(Applause). Colony of Hongkong, had a great interest in the early completion of that section of Canton-Kowloon railway, and he asked the British section and its junction with the company to drink to the early completion of the
J. H. May.
H.E. THE VICEROY submitted the toast of * Long life to H.M. the Emperor of China. Shun Tung in health and happiness," which was oyally received,
Chinese section.
H.E. Sir FREDERICK LUGARD said: Gentle me. Mr. Wei Han has proposed the toast of the British section of the railway in most felicitous terms, and naturally as Governor of Hongkong there is no toast that I would sooner hear from the lips of the managing director of the Chinese section than Success to the British section." But, Gentlemen, the success of the British sertion depends upon the success of the Chinese section, for they are mutually interdependent. Neither toast can be fulfilled. neither section can achieve success, unlesss both work together, in a spirit of co-operation, with the one single object of making the whole line from Canton to Kowloon a success. Your Excellencies belong to the oldest of civilised nations? I belong to a nation which has endeavoured to carry the flag of civilisation into many dark places of the earth. It has been said of the Chinese that they believe that all disputes should be settled in a spirit of amicable and logical argument; and it has been said of the British that the basis, the funda-
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Mr. Woo (the Viceroy's Secretary) said His Excellency the Viceroy appreciated very highly the statesmanlike speech of His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong as to the relations between the Government of Canton and the Government of Hongkong. With regard to railway enterprises, the Viceroy said that not having been initiated into the mysteries of rail- way construction, he would not dwell on the technical difficulties in this part of China, but there were other difficulties which His Excellency understood very well. For instance, people in every part of the globe had certain deep- rooted ideas and traditions peculiar to themselves
had 蹑
prejudices in short. Now prejudices were common to all sorts of people and His Excellency was afraid that the Chinese themselves were not instance, the quite free from them. For
of high idea
ancestor Chinese worship and certain other things which, interposed difficulties in the way of the foreign engineer in China. His Excellency understood that, so far, the foreign engineers and their staff has shown a great deal of sympathy with the people, which had greatly helped them in their work, and His Excellency the Viceroy had no doubt that during the two years construction work would be going on, the same sympathy would be shown to the people and harmony would reign and harmony ineant success. (Applause).
Mr. H. E. Fox, Acting Consul-General for Great Britain, proposed Prosperity to the Chinese Section of the Canton-Kowloon Railway, and in doing so said that when one took into consideration the countless obstacles that stood in the way of the railway engineer before he enabled the public to pass at their ease from one continent to another, their admiration and gratitude went out to the men who made such a feat possible. In some countries the almost entirely physical, difficulties were such as piercing mountains and bridging rivers, but in China to these were added others; and he thought the man who could run a line of railway through the province of Kwangtung should rank with an ambassador or cabinet minister. One of their hosts that day, H.E. Wei Han, was performing that feat and he asked the company to join him in offering congratulations to His Excellency, and to Mr. Grore, the Engineer-in-Chief. Men like
mental principle, ou which they settle both their domestic and political questions is one of If we both carry into our compromise. dealings in regard to this railway these national characteristics we shall go far achieve H.E. the Viceroy presided. On his right sat HE. Sir Frederick Lugard. K.C.M.G, C.B.. the aspirations to which expression has been D.S.O., Governor of Hongkong. and on his left given in proposing the toast of the British
We of the railway. H.E. the Tartar General. There were also section
are close seated at the cross table the Hon. Mr. F, neighbours, Hongkong and Cautou, and H. May (Colonial Secretary of Hongkong), we shall be closer neighbours still when this, Mr. Woo (the Viceroy's Secretary) Mr. C. H. railway is completed. There will be no obstacle Ross (representing the British and Chinese then to prevent His Excellency the Viceroy Corporation), the Lieutenant General. Mr. running down after breakfast from Canton, to Beauvais (Consul for France), Admiral Lee, lunch with me in Hongkong, and get back the H.E. Wei Han, Vr. Leo Bergholz(United States same evening with plenty of time to spare for Consul General). Mr. H. H. Fox (Consul business or pleasure in Hongkong. But I un General for Great Britain). Yen Taotai, and derstand it is one of the rules of the the Lieutenant General. the other tables high office which your Excellency holds were Mr. F. Grove (Engineer in hief of the that you must not leave your jurisdie Chinese section of the railway), Dr. Rossler tion, and I think that
among the many (Consul for Germany), the Salt Com reforms China is taking in hand at present this missioner, the Provincial Treasurer, Mr. Tao, one has been overlooked. I hope you will not Mr. Porter (Vice-Consul for Great Bri- accuse me of revolutionary ideas if I suggest that tain) the Commissioner of Education, the the Viceroy of Canton should be allowed to lunch Provincial Judge. Mr. P. H. King. (Commis- with the Governor of Hongkong when this r. Grove had spent a great many of sioner of Customs) Taojai Wang, Tautai Lee, railway is completed whenever he desires to do the best years of their lives in placing that the Police Commissioner. Mr. Segawa (C'ousul Į so, (Applause) 1 congratulate you in that network of railways over the globe which for Japan). Mr. A. H. Harris (Commissioner of while the Northern provinces have spent much formed such a potent factor in the canse of Customs, Kowloon). the Industrial Cammissioner, time in talking, you of the Kwangtung province peace and for the benefit of the human race. He Tuotai She-ah. Taotai Sai. Mr. Moyes. Mr. have made some substantial progress with the had no manner of doubt that Mr. Grove and his Steger, Taotai Lee, Totai Siu, Lieutenant | Canton-Haukow Railway. This enterprise staff would do the work they had undertaken as Beckwith R.N., Captain Taylor (A.D.C. to promises a great future for Canton as a centre speedily and as well as it possibly could be done. HE. the Governor of Hongkong), Captain of a great railway system in connection with In a few years their names might be forgotten Simson (Private Secretary). Mr.A.G.M. Fletcher the greatest port of the world. Gentlemen, it but their work would endure. Si monumentum Mr. Drummond. Mr. Cling Chen Ling. Capt is a very great advantage that this Canton- requiris, circumspice. They must not forget Woo, Mr. B. A. Hale, Mr. W. H. Donald, Mr Kowloon Rai way should terminate in a great upon this occasion the Corporation which had Fung, Mr. Christiansen. Mr. Ogilby, Mr. port such as Hongkong. It has taken some assisted this railway by advancing the funds Fisher, Mr. F. Hicks, Mr. Secretary (hen, sixty odd years to build up the commerce and to necessary for its construction. Mr. Pratt, Mr. Keay, Sub-Prefect Nanghoi, create the the enormous tonnage which at like himself were firm believers in the vitality of Mr. Huijgen, the Director of Military Educa-present frequents the port of Hongkong. British interests and enterprises in China, it tion (Taotai Chang), Mr. Paget, the Police No other railway in China will have a similar was gratifying to know that the gentleman Chinesa Secretary (Mr. Chang), Mr. Secretary Li, Mr. advantage. When the minerals, in which I who represented the British and
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