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1
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
[B]
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[22460]
No. 1.
C.0. 23208
[June 15.]
SECTION 3.
Hong Kong and Shanghae Banking Corporation to Foreign Office.--(Received June 15.)
Dear Sir Francis,
31, Lombard Street, London, June 15, 1909.
I ENCLOSE copy of my letter of last night to M. Simon with regard to American intervention in the Hankow-Szechuan Railway affair.
I also enclose copy of a memorandum on the subject from the French Foreign Office, which has been sent to me, marked "Personnel et confidentiel.”
Yours truly,
C. S. ADDIS.
Dear M. Simon,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Mr. C. S. Addis to M. Simon.
31, Lombard Street, London, June 14, 1909.
IN reply to your letter of the 11th June, what the Americans are going upon is a statement made by Prince Ch'ing on the 26th September, 1903, to the effect that: "If China desires to construct the Szechuan-Hankow line, and her capital is insufficient, she will obtain all the necessary foreign capital from Great Britain and the United States."
It is true that when the Chinese Central Railways (Limited) was formed in 1905, the United States Government was officially asked to state definitely whether American capitalists wished to participate in the enterprise or not. At a later stage the State Department in Washington stated that, although appropriate publicity had been given to the subject, no intimation of desire for participation had been received from American capitalists. The State Department at Washington was then fually informed that the offer could not be left open for an indefinite period, and the matter must therefore be considered as at an end.
I understand that this is not disputed by the Americans, but what they contend is that no matter what arrangements were come to between the French and English, neither can claim to place a term upon the undertaking given by China to America, which is, I am afraid, indisputable.
The United States Government has accordingly been appealed to not to press their protest, in view of the serious consequences which might ensue from delaying the issue of the Imperial edict authorising the Hukuang loan.
Until we know the result of this appeal, it is needless to speculate further action; but I confess I view with misgiving this intrusion of the Americans into our already too complicated international arrangements with regard to Chinese railways.
Believe me, &c.
C. 8. ADDIS.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Memorandum.
L'IMMINENCE de la signature du contrat pour la première section du Пankéou- Canton et du Hankéou-Tchentou entre le Gouvernement chinois et les banques anglaises, allemandes, et françaises, a amené une démarche de la dernière heure du Gouvernement américain à Pékin (en vue, évidemment, de participer à l'affaire), démarche portée à la connaissance des Gouvernements à Londres, Berlin, et Paris,
Mr. White a porté par écrit à la connaissance du département un engagement de
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