17th July, In the "China Times" of the 8th instant there is what we are told is a rough translation from the "Nichi Nichi Shimbun " of Tokio, of a report of an interview by the latter per's special correspondent at eking with a German "high per son age." Ib -will be seen from the following summary that it is a very interesting report; how far it is authentic we cannot say. The correspondent began by saying POn December 15, 1904, Germany demanded the following four items, brett ha ate ct cat dt _an but was refused on June 8 this Is this true? year. that Germany is fully in accord with din this matter, and has nob (1) Only Germans are to be} demanded the right to build a rail-allowed to use machinery for mining, way from Tientsin to Tsingtao. The along ten miles of both sides of the "high personage " says "Tam very Shantung Railway. sorry to have seen recently there (2) Chinese are not to be allowed are many misinforming articles re-must follow the old method of hand well as in Chinese to use machinery for mining The; jing Germany in Japanese as papers." mining. answer to farther enquiries, the "(8) If there should be a new "high persona; admitted that the mine discovered by Germans within Shantung railway telegraph lines five miles of the aforesaid area of the Were being converted to ublic use Shantung railway, another five miles but only until the Chinese es-shall be udded to both sides of the tablished their own lines; and railway; audit in the newly extended he explained that "the desire line there should be Chinese working of Germany in Shantung is wholly mines already, these should be stop- {for the forwarding of her com: ped within two years, mercial interests and to get as much "(4) Chinese officers are not to profit out of it as possible, so what-interfere with Germans using ma-ever military or economic steps China chinery for mining." may prepare in Shantung, Germany From the replies of the "high will be pleased to accept them for the opening of that province." Referring rsonage" it was gathered that to the Haichou scute, the correspon-germany did make these demands, dent asked why Germany did not get though it is represented that the the consent of China before under-third item, which widens the German taking the survey, which had caused belt of territory from twenty to 's0 much alarm; to which the very thirty miles, was not exactly a de-commonsense answer was given thab mand, The refusal to allow the if China had been asked, she would Chinese to use machinery. is very undoubtedly have refused. The politic; Chinese mines worked on "high personage" admitted that their primitive methods could not Haichou would make a very valuable possibly compete with German mines base of operations, with access "to worked wi! i Anhui, Honan, and the heart of and China, but added that Germany would have to sellout tothe Germans. pag riot the slightest hope The correspondent next ask-d carrying out any such designs, whether it was true that the lease} The "high personage" then ad-of Kiaochou Bay contained a stipula- mitted that Germany had suspended tion that "whenever any business of] her commercial treaty negotiations importance is undertaken in Shan- with China, using the suspension as tung, the Chinese Government must a lever to force the Chinese to sign have the consent of the German] the Tientsin-Chien-Kow railway con-Government, eithertoemploy foreign- tract, but the negotiations had been ers or to use foreign materials." resumed, and there is nothing about The answer was evasive. "The}a base at Haichou in the new treaty, German Government has not pub-|'The disgraceful attack on a Chinese lished it yet; therefore I am very! official on the Shantung railway was sorry I cannot answer you clearly then explained. Asked as to how the on this point." The next question] Shantung railway treaty which gives was in reference to the provision in Germany a monopoly in that province the original contract, that the Shan- was to be reconciled with the "open tung railway was to have Chinese as} door" principle, the "high personage" well as German shareholders, and replied "Well, the word ' open door' the correspondent asked Are there was born after the Shantung treaty." many Chinese shareholders of this] The correspondent pointed out thab railway, and if so, what proportion the Kaiser had just shown himself do they bear to the rest?" The} very keen about the open door in answer to this was: "I cannot Morocco, "and," he said, "I sincerely answer you exactly on this point, hope the Germans will stick to iv. but there may be some shareholders themselves for the sake of the future among the Chinese." Probably this peace of the Far East. Answer: Oh should read: "There may be some yes, it must be so." The correspon-Chinese am nose the shareholders." dent then conversed on the friendly The correspondent then asked when relations now existing between Japan ther it was not the object of the/and Germany, ard he winds up his Shantung railway to divert to Tsing- report to the " Nichi Nichi" by sa} tao the trade of Chihli on the north ing: "From the above, I hope your and traffic from Shanghai in the readers may grasp the general idea South. The answer is somewhat of the Shantung question from the oracular: "Yes, it has for its object} German point of view. Ib -would be to make free the China inland trade." not only to my happiness but to my Then came a long question and great honour if it be a help somehow answer about the Tientsin-Chien- to facilitate closer relations between Kow railway, from which we learn Germany and Japan,"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.