G/
523
The Under Secretary of State
-4-
10/6/1915
menaced by an intolerable situation.
The enclosed extracts of the two last letters received
from Mr.Cheetham on his arrival in Hongkong, show the attitude
in which he approaches this business.
are of course at your disposal.
The original letters
In one of them he further
writes:
"I expect in one of the next days to go up to
Canton to interview the former gentleman (Mr.S.)
who had charge of this business in Hongkong."
and while the ingenuousness of his position is at once apparent,
this very trip to Canton to seek enlightenment on his important
new post might even be a contributory cause of the authorities'
suspicion, which a few words of explanation would at once dispel.
After all the trouble and care we have taken to transfer
an important business from a German house into the hands of an
Englishman, which we doubt if any one else in the China trade
has yet attempted, we hesitate to believe that these efforts are
to be upset by what we are sure is due to misunderstanding.
As soon as we hear from Hongkong, we shall take the
liberty of approaching you again.
We are,
Sir,
Your obedient servants, For Sanders, Rehders & Co., Ltd.,
atur.