:
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
C.O.
10492
REGR 25 MAR 09
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
(8189]
No. 1.
689
[March 2.]
SECTION 1,
Sir F. Bertie to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received March 2.)
(No. 88.) Sir,
Paris, February 27, 1909. WITH reference to my telegram No. 36 of to-day's date, I have the honour to report that Mr. Addis called at His Majesty's Embassy this afternoon and informed me that M. Simon, the representative of the French group, and he had signed the Memorandum dated the 26th February respecting the Hankow-Canton Railway negotiations as accepted in principle and subject to confirmation by their respective
groups.
Mr. Addie stated that M. Simon, who had an interview with the Minister of Finance before signing the Memorandum, told him that the latter had expressed the wish that some arrangement could be arrived at under which all loan business in China, and not only that pertaining to railways, would be shared by the British, French, and German groups. Mr. Addis remarked that this was of course a much larger question, which might be discussed later on, but which was outside his present sphere of negotiations. Mr. Addis leaves to-morrow for Berlin, where he hopes to obtain the signature of the Memorandum by the representative of the German group under the same conditions as in Paris, and he intends to return here in three or four days.
I have, &c. (Signed) FRANCIS BERTIE.
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