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not binding certain railways to buy British goods only
and for ever but merely that certain funds shall be
spent on British goods. Please telegraph views on
this point and see my telegram No. 62.
8. Board of Trustees is another debatable point.
Should there be a Board of Trustees at all? And
should funds be paid over to Board of Trustees or to
National government? I would not want to press for the
appointment of a Board of Trustees nor if appointed
for British representation thereon unless National
government desire it.
9. Should National government prefer other
productive purposes such as river conservancy rather
than railway rehabilitation, it might be stipulated
that such imported plant and materials as may be
necessary should be purchased in Great Britain, subject
to the political and consortium considerations referred
to in paragraph 7 above and my telegram.
10. It was Nationalist Minister of Communications
himself who suggested that rehabilitation of existing
railways should precede new construction see Peking
despatch No. 1128.