CO129-382 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 127

C

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

AFFAIRS OF CHINA,

CONFIDENTIAL.

621

December 8.]

RECO Rest 7 JAN |

SECTION 1.

}

[44187]

(No. 156.)

No. 1.

Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan.

(Telegraphic.) R.

Foreign Office, December 8, 1910. MY telegram No. 149 of 12th November: China currency loan. German Government instructed their representative at Washington some weeks ago in the sense desired by His Majesty's Government, but French Government were atill desirous that joint action should be taken by the four legations at Peking with a view to bringing pressure to bear on China to induce her to agree to joint signature of the final contract and the inclusion of adequate guarantees.

The United States Government objected to this mode of procedure for the reasons given in Mr. Mitchell Innes's telegram No. 47 of 17th November, repeated to you, and begged that no representations would be made to China as to the joint signature, at any rate until the negotiations were completed and the contract ready for signature.

His Majesty's Government, while admitting the force of the French contentions, consider it desirable in the circumstances to defer any further attempt to secure concerted action at Peking for the present, more especially as the inter-group agreement of 10th November provides that in certain circumstances any one of the parties concerned may negotiate with China alone, and is bound only to keep the other parties to the agreement informed of the progress of such negotiations.

The French Government now concur in our view.

[44157]

(No. 125.)

No. 2.

Sir Edward Grey to Mr. Mitchell Innes.

(Telegraphic.) R.

Foreign Office, December 8, 1910. YOUR telegram No. 48 of 27th November: China currency loan. French Government now agree with His Majesty's Government in thinking that, in the circumstances, it would be desirable to defer any further attempt to secure concerted action at Péking on the part of the four legations to obtain joint signature of the loan.

[1810 h-1]

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