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prestige to the public. I repeated that we did not desire to prejudice the claims of either side to the jurisdiction of the territory. That was a separate issue which could be discussed later. The immediate proposal was to set up a Garden with non-political control as a memorial. We were, if necessary, prepared to finance the Garden and to control it ourselves. We had thought, however, that the Chinese Government would wish to share in the running of the Garden on a basis of equality and would recognise that if they accepted this offer they would in fact be acquiring a share in the control of an area in which they had previously exercised no de facto jurisdiction.

5. The Ambassador then said that he would. on his personal initiative, suggest to his Government that the ratio of representation on the Committee should be four to three in favour of the Chinese representatives.

6. I concluded by saying that we would not accept inequality on the Committee. We very much regretted the ill-feeling that had been caused by this unfortunate incident and we earnestly desired a settlement in which political considerations played no part. We considered that our present proposal fulfilled the requirements of both sides and was a fitting tribute to the Allied soldiers who had fallen during the war. I told the Ambassador that I would communicate my proposal regarding the position of the Committee to you, and ask you to put it to the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs.

7. The discussion was continued subsequently in the Department when strong emphasis was laid on the fact that cur offer to the Chinese was an offer of equality. The Ambassador was asked what could be better than an equal partnership, but made no answer.