Paraphrase of Telegram to Sir J.Jordan,
No.103, Urgent, dated June 3rd, 1909.
485
A serious difficulty has, I am informed by the
HongKong and Shanghai Bank, arisen at the last moment
Chang-chih Tung now insists
about the railway loan.
that there is to be no mention of the British and Chi-
nese Corporation in the business, and that the Corpora-
tion are not to be given the agency here for the pur-
chase of material for the railway. According to the
Bank this would apply to all Chinese business and
would involve the dissolution of the Corporation, which
would have a deplorable effect.
If China has any complaints against the Corpora-
tion on the score of extravagance or otherwise as re-
gards railways built by them, this would not apply
to a railway built by China, in which all that the Cor-
poration would receive would be a commission on the
materials ordered by the Chinese.
There has been no
suspicion as to the Corporation's integrity.
Please endeavour to get Chang's decision as to
the Corporation reversed.
The French and German
groups