De LANO, United States Consul to Luh Taotai, July 25, 1874

Mr. De Lano to Luh Taotai.

To Luh Taotai, President of the Committee of Foreign Trade:

Sir: The Great Northern Telegraph Company of Denmark, having completed a contract with the imperial commissioner Shĕn, for the construction of an electric telegraph line—overland and submarine—from Foo-chow to Tai-wan-foo, via Tamsui, it is now thought that the high provincial authorities at this port will look with favor upon a proposition to erect a line overland between this and Amoy; and in order that the subject maybe placed squarely and plainly before the governor-general for his consideration, I have been requested by the agent of the company to submit to you three separate propositions for the construction of such a line.

The company will be glad to undertake the construction of a telegraph-line between Foo-chow and Amoy on terms named in either of the propositions clearly set forth below:

• First proposition.—If the provincial authorities will give the company permission to erect poles along the government road, or by the most feasible route, and will take the necessary steps to secure their protection, the company will transmit all official dispatches from the Foo-chow authorities to the authorities at Amoy, Shanghai, and Hongkong over the line to Amoy, when the line is erected, free of charge.
• Second proposition.—The company will undertake to erect the line (poles) under government protection as above stated, and will place upon the poles two wires, one of which shall be entirely under the control of the Chinese authorities, to be worked by their own operators and in their sole interest, while the other wire shall belong to the company and shall he protected by the Chinese government authorities. In this case the company would even work the government line free of charge until some of your own people were sufficiently instructed in the art of telegraphy to manage it.
• Third proposition.—The company will undertake to erect the line for the provincial government, entirely at government expense, following the directions of the authorities, under a contract to be concluded with them, supplying them with engineers and operators to work it when completed, the Chinese paying their salaries. In this case the company would furnish them with an office at Amoy free of charge, and in any case the company would undertake to teach Chinese the art of telegraphy and of telegraph engineering, provided the authorities would supply for the purpose men of intelligence and education who could read and write the English and French languages. This they would do free of charge.

The proposed line between Foo-chow and Formosa will only place Foo-chow in communication with Formosa, whereas a line between Foo-chow and Amoy would, when the Formosa line has been finished, place both Foo-chow and Formosa in direct communication with the coast cities of China, with Europe, America, and nearly all parts of the world.

An opportunity is offered in the second proposition of the company for the provincial authorities to become the owners of a land-wire from Foo-chow to Amoy without any outlay of money, merely by giving the company permission to erect it, and by making the necessary arrangements with the country people along the route for its construction and protection.

I beg you will lay the matter before his excellency the viceroy, together with the three propositions herein submitted, at your earliest convenience, and that you will advise me at the earliest possible moment what action, if any, the provincial government will take in the matter.

Be pleased to accept the assurances of my high regards, and believe me,

Yours, respectfully,