CO129-416 - Public Offices - 1914 — Page 521

1914.

Enclosure in Sir John Jordan's No 162 of May 199

5

Copy.

Mr Lyons to Mr Moore Bennett, April 30, 1914.

18 MAY 1914 514

sir.

I am directed by H.M.Minister to acknowledge receipt of your letter of today's date regarding the proposed sumo- Wuchow railway.

I am to infom you in reply that, on receipt of your letter of the 25th instant in which it was stated that X

"the lianager of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank will take up loan for Mangtzu-"uchow line if we can secure concession on sound terms", Sir J.Jordan telegraphed to His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong and to H.M.Consul-General at Canton for official confination of this statement. Replies have now been received and are to the effect that the statement regardin the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank is incorrect. H.M.Minister has

also received official information that Mr Chater is not pre- pared to participate in financing the scheme under discussion

and that Hongkong financiers would not in fact be able to find any considerable proportion of the sun required.

In view of the fact that H.M.Legation are debarred by their instructions from supporting any group to obtain Rail- way concessions unless convinced that such a group is financial) capable of fulfilling their obligations, you will readily un- derstand that Sir John Jardan is unable to take any steps to

assist Megra Macdonald until the firm in question have satis-

fies him that they can make other arrangements than those al-

ready sited stated to finance the consession which they desire

to obtain.

.Youprox

I am etc.

Signed Thomas H.Lyons.