28.9
C. O.
--
Paraphrase of telegram to Hankow No22.
7229
Rent 26 FEB 07,
Peking, 30th October, 1906.
Hankow Canton Railway, Confidential,
I learn from Bland that he has reason to think
that the Viceroy Chang may now be ready to consider
proposals for a loan for the construction of this rail-
way based on the terms of the Centon Kowloon final
loan agreement which are now practically settled.
Bland and Ca senave representing the English and
French groups of the Central Chinese Railways intend
to ask the Viceroy for an interview at an early date
to discuss the matter.
Although the co-operation of Casenave vis-à-vis
the Chinese would merely be for financial purposes, I
doubt whether this would be believed by the Viceroy
or the Chinese Government, and they might make use of
Casenave's open intervention in this way as an excuse
for evading their engagement of September 1905. I
should be glad if you would furnish me with your opin-
ion on the matter.
Personally I think that in view
of the nature of the engagement mentioned above Bland
alone