7.
135
which I shall deal with in the next paragraph, would there
be any analogy with the proposal recently under considera-
tion for using the monry to help pay the cost of our
defence measures in China, since the employment of the
money for the reduction of admitted debts owed by China
to British subjects would be a purpose of mutual benefit,
while, if the interest alone were thus applied, there
would be no actual diminution of the sum remitted, which
would remin at the figure originally contemplated. The
fact that the suspension of the measures proposed by the
Willingdon Commission and the inability of Chine to pay
the debts under consideration were ultimately due to the
iame osuses of civil disorder, would moreover make the use
of the interest on the Boxer Indemnity funds for the relief
of her creditors not altogether inappropriate.
As far
as the commerèial debta are concerned, the use of the in-
terest alone would at best be only a temporary makeshift,
perhaps sufficient only to relieve the British creditors
of a part of the burden of interest which hey are now pay-
ing to the banks. It would, however, go a long way to
satisfy the claims of British subjects for personal loss
or injury, including those arising from the Manking
outrage,