505
DRAFT.
observe that the negotiations were carried on
J
by the British and Chinese Corporations under
a misapprehension and before the Foreign
Office were aware that they intended to enter
into negotiations on the subject. His Lord-
ship cannot see how this arrangement between
two financial groups (which has been official-
ly represented to the Chinese Government as
"internal and purely financial") can be held
to impose on His Majesty's Gover.ent the
obligation to accept French participation
of the nature described by M. Cacbon. Even
less can it be contended that any action of
the Corporation would justify His Majesty's
Government in pressing French personnel and
French control on an unwillingChinese Govern-
ment who were in no way parties to the nego-
tions or even cognizant of them.
It appears to Lord Elgin that the inevitable
result of replying to the French Government
as
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.