.
LONDON.
February 20th,
1909.
536
Dear Monsieur Simon:-
Monsieur Franc qui paid me a visit yester-
day, in the course of which he referred to some criti-
cisms which had been passed upon our recent negotia-
tions in Paris. I have never thought it worth while
to contradict outside gossip, but I should be unwill-
ing to suffer any misunderstanding with yourself per-
sonally after the frank and friendly relations which
have so long existed between us. I still think that
the French made a mistake in declining to admit the
Germans but I wish you clearly to understand that no
hint of our willingness to admit them, either directly
or indirectly, was given to them until after the re-
ceipt of your letter of the 21st January.
Then with regard to the Addis-Simon Agree-
ment of 1908. You will remember that in our discus-
sion with Monsieur Caillaux I pointed out to him that
I did not think it likely that the French would be
able to obtain industrial advantages in the North,
since
Monsieur H. Simon,
Banque de l'Indo Chine,
15bis rue Laffitte,
Paris.