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Communications desired Mr Jer Tien Yu to be considered as the consulting engineer, and that the large bridge for the East River should be ordered from the Tongshan works. Ar Grove replied on May the 11th by suggesting that his designs for steel work should be prepared on the usual commission in England and that the order should be tendered for by British firms as well as by the Tongshan works.
This suggestion, which conforms with the stipulations of the Loan Agreement (article 9) respecting competition between Chinese and imported materials, was approved by Mr Wel Ran, the managing director, and by the British and Chinese Corporation who, it appears, had already instructed Messrs Barry to prepare bridge designs, and who have now directed Mr Bland to impress upon the Board of Communications the impracticable nature of their instructions to Mr Grove. The results of Mr Bland's discussion with Mr Liang Shih Yi have not yet been communicated to me.
As regards the suggestion contained in the correspondence enclosed in your despatch no 187 of the 25th of March last, that Mr Jones should be appointed consulting engineer