CO129-360 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 667

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Paraphrase of Telegram from Sir J. Jordan, No.56, dated

March 19th, 1909.

C.0.

10123

Canton Hankow Railway Loan.

REC?

RroP 23 MAR 09

After careful consideration I hesitate for the

following reasons to act as suggested in your telegram

No.48 of the 18th instant.

1. I fear that a formal reminder will have no

effect on the Chinese in forcing them to break with the

Germans or retarding the conclusion of a Final Agree-

ment. Such a step would only have the effect of making

the Germans push on their negotiations.

2. It would be very difficult afterwards to ex-

plain away a written reminder in the terms which the

circumstances require, if Mr. Addis' anticipation that

the negotiations which are being carried on in London

will have a successful issue, comes to be realized.

The Chinese who are anxious that European combina-

tion should not be completed would at once communicate

it to the Germans and it might be used to embarrass the

negotiations in London.

I fear that nothing can be done here except by the

Germans