i
611
1
Bo it would in that case be necessary to append to the
contract such a final clause as was appended to the 1905
Chinese Government loan. If His Excellency preferred it
Mr Hillier would omit all reference to the French bank in
the body of the doattact and submit the draft of a final
clause announcing French participation so as to render the
bonds saleable on the Paris Bourse.
The Viceroy, however, repeatedly insisted that the
contract must be solely with the British, the Decree com-
municated solely to you and the bonds signed solely by the
Chinese Minister in London. He added that we had insisted
on the withdrawal of the Japanese offer, though it was Mr
Odagiri who devised the method that rendered borrowing
feasible, and now to drag in any other nation would be
unjust and offensive to Japan. Moreover the Germans had
earlier tried to make a loan (referring either to their
1905 efforts as to the Hankow-Szechuen railway or to their
recent abortive £1,000,000 agreement ) and would not be
content to play second fiddle. Finally the insertban of
the French bank would ensure rejection by his Government
of his loan proposal.
His secretary, Kao, who alone was present, here whis-
pered to me the word "Yunnan"; but, I believe, His Excel-
lency