476
of a general through rate of 35% 65%. That, he didï said, was his final offer or if they did not like it they had the alternative of accepting the Hongkong proposal under the four heads in the memorandum which lir. Yuan had brought with him. Yuan asked would Hongkong be likely to accept Sir John's suggestion and the latter replied that he thought they would. Lord Li remarked that he could not go further than
he had already gone in the matter for he was there to deal with the matter in a business way and had nothing to do with politics. He stated, however, that he would return and re- port to his colleagues the reasons given by Sir John in his remarks about the railway policy of Great Britain. Business was business and compensation was compensation and it might be that his colleagues would see reason in what Bir John had didd said.
In any case, he said, he must consult Sheng kung- pag. After much pressing he promised to do his best to give an answer to Sir John by Tuesday afternoon, August the 1st.
Sir John urged the importance of concluding an arrangement at the earliest possible date. C. K. Yuan re- joined that the pointat issue only concerned a few thousand taels and could be settled then if Sir John would only adopt a reasonable view of the case. Sir John replied that the
this British Government had not been treated well over the railway
and he did not consider that anything less then 35% 65%
proportion could even be considered by them.