315
3
compelled to consider amongst other things whether the prior rights claimed by the Western Electric Company are not as fully entitled to international recognition, and must not be held to constitute a preference and thus invalidate the Marcon agreements of August 27th, 1913 for the sale of wireless tele- phone equipment, of October 9th, 1918 for the establishment of wireless communication between Kashgar and Sianfu, am of May 24th, 1919 for the formation of the Chinese National Wireless Telegraph Company. This course would be extremely distasteful to the American Goverment which has maintained, and has assumed on the part of the British Government, a whole-hearted sympathy in the attitude of scrupulous avoidance of claims to exclusive privileges in Chim.
American Government feels that the matter is of primary importance in the co-operatior. between the British Empire and the United States in the Far East. Ends.
The whole question has now been referred to the Imperial Communications Committee here for considera- tion and there will be delay in the issue of further instructions. Meanwhile we shall be glad of your
observations on the above memorandum.
Repeated to Washington by post.
Repeat by post to Tokyo.