M.X.
COPY.
No. 150 Foreign Trade.
Confidential. .
93732/45.
16
H. M. CONSULATE GENERAL, C.
Shanghai,
59146
RECE REGY DEC 16
23rd October, 1915
My Lord,
With reference to my telegram No. 127 (Foreign Trade) of the th ultimo and to your reply No. 89 of the same series of the 18th ultimo, I have the honour to transmit copies of correspondence between my office and Messrs. Andersen, Meyer and Company, Limited, acting on behalf of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company.
It will be seen that the arrangement agreed upon by the Steamship Company is as satisfactory to Allied in- terests as local conditions and American law allow. The vescels of this Company inwards discharge their cargo at a neutral wharf in Shanghai; over this cargo I have no control beyond the possible acquisition of useful in- formation as to "fences" here or in America through access to the Manifest. Any insistence on discharge of cargo at Woosung would have served little useful purpose, would have prejudiced British lighterage companies and have antagonised friendly neutral opinion. Loading on the other land at Woosung, owing to the occasional roughness of those waters and the very small number of registered lighters or tugs which could be used by enemy concerns or their "fences" virtually negatives the disadvantage from an enemy trading standpoint of the American law of common carriers.
The delay in forwarding the enclosed correspondence has been due to an oversight on the part of the Pacific The Right Honourable
Viscount Grey of Fallodon K.G., M.P.,
etc.
etc.
etc.
His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Foreign Office,
LONDON. E.C.