CO129-360 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 170

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insight into the Grand Secretary's attitude towards the

whole question, shows that the Tionts in-Puko terms

are more likely to form the limit of his ambition,

and if China, with a decrease last year of over a million

sterling in her Customs revenue and her pres nt hand-

to-mouth financial arrangements,

succeeds in building

}

another trunk line on such easy terms she may consider

herself especially fortunate.

fact

The Smart that negotiations were in prospect has

attracted here the usual number of would-be competitors,

the most prominent of whom are ".Odaziri representing

Jaymese, and .Jadot, seting in Belgian interests, and

the Grand Secretary will naturally turn tha competi^ion

to advantage in extracting the best terms he can out

of r.Bland.

V.Odariri Beems to be the only one who has any locus

standt an his claims, a stated in 'r.Aland's letter Lo

me, appear to be of an extravagant nature.

In my reply to Nr.9land'e letter, copy of * leb

is