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A Customs station was about to be established near Macao. His action in this matter was, however, misunderstood and a strong feeling was shown against the Arrangement and he, wishing to keep things quiet, withdrew the scheme and gave up the project.
As he understood my proposal correctly, it was that he and I should come to some arrangement whereby, without China losing her revenue, the cordon of cruisers round, and the Chinese Detectives in Hongkong should be removed. Such a scheme, if feasible, would meet his views exactly, but he was unprepared to express an opinion on any that might now be suggested. In the first place, nine points of detail are apt to be misunderstood or at all events forgotten, and in the second, the term of office of Wen, the present Haitwan, who was really a good man, was about to expire, and Chun, the brother of the late Provincial Chancellor, was appointed to succeed him. Consequently, he was unable to come to any decision until he had seen Chun.