CO129-344 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 495

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practically passed out of his hands and the question

became one rather for diplomatic treatment, as Mon-

sieur Cambon has stated. Mr. Hillier's endeavours

were directed towards finding a way out of the dead-

lock, and it was only with this object in view that

he suggested the conclusion of a contract in the

name of the British Syndicate alone, subject to a

division of results between the various parties in-

terested.

It must be pointed out that although the French

group form part of the Chinese Central Railways and

will share in any business or enterprise undertaken

by that Syndicate, their association with the Brit-

ish and Chinese Corporation is so far limited to the

Canton-Hankow Railway, a preference in regard to

which