CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 754

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government 34965

CHINA RAILWAYS.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[October 2.]

SECTION 1.

REG: 25 00T 09

[36564]

No. 1.

M. Simon to Mr. Addis.-(Communicated to Foreign Office October 2.) (Translation.) Dear Mr. Addis,

I HAD yesterday a conversation on the subject of our affairs with our friends who

Paris, September 30, 1909. belong to our group, and this morning a conversation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On the other side, I must tell you that M. Ullmann has seen M. Scholler, and that the latter, while stating that he was not qualified to speak on behalf of the German group, nevertheless told him very positively that, in his opinion, the Germans will not make any concession on their share of the Szechuen if, on their side, the English did not give up something of their share of the Hankow-Canton.

Under these conditions we consider that for the present the meeting of a conference would be useless or at least premature. It would indeed have no other result but to show that nobody agrees.

It seems to us that first an application should be made jointly by the three Governments, with whom the American Government would join (aud, in case it appeared necessary, the Russian Government), in order to obtain from China an engagement in respect of the extension and prolongation of the Szechuen lines.

If this were obtained most of the difficulties would disappear, and an agreement satisfactory to all would easily be arrived at. This would become the object of a conference which would then meet to decide definitely.

On the other hand, if the diplomatic steps taken towards China failed, the conference might also assemble to see if it is possible to satisfy the Americans, and in what way, or if, on the contrary, all hope to reach an understanding being abandoned, events should be left to follow their course.

In any case, however, our friends and ourselves agree that there is no occasion to convene a conference until diplomatic steps have been tried with China, and the result is known.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs are to write to-day or to-morrow at the latest, to M. Paul Cambon, in this sense, asking him to explain these ideas to Sir Edward Grey.

Believe me, &c.

SIMON.

P.S.-I acknowledge due receipt of the copies of the telegram received by you from the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank on the 28th instant, and of your reply of the 29th, and I thank you for this communication.

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