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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
[B]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[40743]
No. 1.
со
35951
Rce Rro 24 NOV 10
[November 9.]
SECTION 1.
(No. 420.) Sir,
Sir F. Bertie to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received November 9.)
Paris, November 8, 1910. WITH reference to your telegram No. 391 of the 5th November, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copies of the note verbale addressed by me to the French Minister for Foreign Affairs and his reply on the subject of the negotiations for an American-Chinese loan and of an agreement between British, French, German, and American groups with regard to all future loan business in China.
M. Pichon states that, in the view of the French Government, the question does not present itself exactly in the terms of my note. A distinction must be made between the general agreement and the Chinese-American loan. His Excellency explains that, in view of certain demands made by the American group, the French group object to signing the general agreement unless article 6 be modified.
As regards the American-Chinese loan, the French financiers, in accord with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, do not consider that they can participate except on the conditions of the general agreement, that is, on conditions of complete equality.
I have, &c.
FRANCIS BERTIE.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Nate verbale communicated by M. Pichon,
HIS Majesty's Ambassador has been informed by Sir Edward Grey that a meeting is to be held in London on the 8th instant between the British, French, German, and American groups with the object of coming to a general agreement with regard to all future loan business in China. His Majesty's Government have been given to understand that permission will not be given to the French financiers to sign this agreement unless the American group undertakes to insist on the Chinese Government consenting to the signature by all four groups of the final contract for the loan for 10,000,000. which is now under discussion. His Majesty's Government think that it would be a mistake not to sign the general agreement, for although they are entirely in favour of the signature by all the groups of the loan for 10,000,0001, they consider that they would be in a stronger position to press this if the general agreement were first concluded, as it is stipulated in the latter that all the parties should use their utmost endeavours to secure joint signature.
His Majesty's Ambassador has been instructed to urge the above considerations on the French Government. As it is reported that the final contract for the American loan may be signed in the course of the next few days, the matter is somewhat urgent. His Majesty's Ambassador at Berlin has been instructed to make a communication in the same senso as the above to the German Government.
Paris, November 5, 1910.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Note verbale communicated to Sir F. Bertie.
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PAR une note en date du 5 novembre courant, l'Ambassado de Sa Majesté britannique a bien voulu faire savoir au Ministère des Affaires Etrangères que Gouvernement anglais jugerait regrettable que les financiers français subordonnent
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