CO129-308 - Public Offices - 1901 — Page 259

request me to recommend the Viceroy to yield;

force would, he said, he used unless he did so,

but he did not indicate its nature or direction.

I have not complied with this request as I

did not think it advisable.

257

When Mr. Volpicelli called on me yesterday

morning to make the above request, he was extremely

frank and I gathered that the Italian Minister had

practically instructed him that, unless the Viceroy

speedily recognized an agreement entered into by

Messrs. Chen Yen Tai, a Chinese firm, with the Hong

Kong Italian firm of Nervegna and Company, the

principal condition of which seems to be that in

consideration of an advance of $25,000, Messrs.

Nervegna and Company should be entitled to a half

share of the profits of the Chinese firm in

China and was prepared to enforce payment, the

Viceroy himself and Provincial Government would be

held responsible and force would be used. The

case is a very intricate one, the merits of which

I do not profess to judge, but I believe that the

Chinese