CO129-360 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 541

.

LONDON.

February 20th,

1909.

536

Dear Monsieur Simon:-

Monsieur Franc qui paid me a visit yester-

day, in the course of which he referred to some criti-

cisms which had been passed upon our recent negotia-

tions in Paris. I have never thought it worth while

to contradict outside gossip, but I should be unwill-

ing to suffer any misunderstanding with yourself per-

sonally after the frank and friendly relations which

have so long existed between us. I still think that

the French made a mistake in declining to admit the

Germans but I wish you clearly to understand that no

hint of our willingness to admit them, either directly

or indirectly, was given to them until after the re-

ceipt of your letter of the 21st January.

Then with regard to the Addis-Simon Agree-

ment of 1908. You will remember that in our discus-

sion with Monsieur Caillaux I pointed out to him that

I did not think it likely that the French would be

able to obtain industrial advantages in the North,

since

Monsieur H. Simon,

Banque de l'Indo Chine,

15bis rue Laffitte,

Paris.