Copy.
B. 164.
PE:
C. O.
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349
RW I JUL 24
BRITISH LEGATION,
PEKING
May 11th, 1904.
My Lord:-
With reference to my despatch No. 132 of April 11th mentioning a suggestion of the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce that the Canton-Kowloon Railway might be constructed with the aid of a guarantee of interest by the Colony of Hongkong, it seems worth while to recall the terms granted by the French Colony of Indo-China to the Company formed to construct the line from Laokai to Yunnan-fu, which has been conceded by China to the French Government.
The capital of the Company is fixed at 12,500,000 francs, and the Colony makes a free contribution of an equal sum in cash. In addition the Colony guarantees 3% interest on the bonds to be issued by the Company, up to an amount of 3,000,000
The Marquess of Lansdowne, K.G.,
&c., &c., &c.,
francs