CO129-396 - Public Offices - 1912 — Page 83

(38017/12).

81

agreement has yet been reached and His Majesty's Government

$

and the Governments of the other five Powers whose financiers

}

1

are represented in the Consortium have pledged their exclus-

ive support to the latter, pending the conclusion of a ke-

organisation Loan and are therefore unable to countenance any

other loan negotiations which may be opened with the Chinese

Government. Sir E. Grey however fully recognises the neces-

sity of adequate financial assistance being afforded to China

without delay, and in view of the length of time over which

the negotiations have extended he is determined now to

facilitate, as far as lies in his power, the successful con-

clusion of a loan between the Chinese Government and the

Groups, fresh proposals by the former being imminent.

Should it prove impossible notwithstanding to conclude

the loan, Sir E. Grey is of opinion that the whole policy of

supporting the six Groups to the exclusion of other parties

ready to lend money to China on satisfactory terms will have

to be reconsidered. He is accordingly disposed to hold that

should this further attempt now about to be made by the Groups

to