80
it must be remembered that we will cert-inly get
nothin
more out of the Japanese than we have alresily.
The fortni ̧htly service of the "Patehan” is ostensibly
for the benefit of the hemeen forein eonmunity,
vhleh cosa not number over 300, wherese there are suid
to be st
enat,000
east 7,000 Japanese in Denton.
Any discussion
of a new a. reement will elmost certainly lead to the
japanese demending a much higher ratio of hips on
this besis. I can quite understand the annoyance of
the Japanese at finding that thinese paasengers prefer
to travel by the fortni htly "Petohan" rather than by
their vessels, and this may account for the almost
clandestina intro etion of this very striking and
modern vessel. It is also probable that Japanese
shipping interests here exp ́essed dissatisfaction at
being unable to take part in what they hope may be
worked p into s lucrative carrying trade. The fact
remains, however, that the river is still ostensibly
closed. If e do not
gree to the "hirogane Neru
1 cw foresee a definite at sin on relations have
but the local position could get aneh wirse before
becoming intolerable, nor een
ritish trace end interests
in enton be much worse off then they are now whatever
the Japenese may decide to do in the way of local re-
The fortni htly "Fatehan has been a
teliation.
cert in convenience, but, as long as gunboats can run
regularly and often it is not essentiel. xxZ***İKİNEŽ
It will be remembered that my original ides in pressing
for the reciprocal agreement was that it mi ht improve
18ml
relations with the Jpaneze, put them for once in the
position of receivers bather than ivers since I think
that they lose far more, directly at any rate, by esne
cellation of the agreement than we do and lend