The Under Secretary of State
-3-
551 25/6/1915
time hereafter
-
whether this Agreement is still in force
or not
attempt or consent to acquire or to accept for
themselves and or others, nor will they cause or assist
others to acquire, the agency or sub-agency of the said
Texas Company and its business, nor shall they be in any
way interested therein without the Company's consent in
writing."
As you will observe, we have not only covered the Canton
part of the business, but we have gone a step further (although
at a sacrifice of part of our commission) and have appointed
Mesare. Reiss & Co. as Mr. Cheetham's Advisers for Hongkong also.
By giving our agent this strong backing, we have not
only been guided by the wish to once for all nip in the bud all
further intrigues and undeserved aspersions which might hereafter
be made against Mr.Cheetham, but by the belief that, in doing so.
we have anticipated your own desire; and we are pleased to be
able to add that we have already received a telegram from our
Hongkong solicitors telling us that they had obtained the
Governor's sanction to this arrangement.
We cabled them last night about our desire to make this
arrangement with Messrs. Reiss & Co. and to break off all negotia-
tions with Mesars. Shewan Tomes & Co. and the other firm of which
we wrote you (because they also seem to have been influenced by
what may be described as Hongkong's "village gossip".)
J
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