CO129-440 - Others & Individuals - 1916 — Page 540

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it as addressed to your good selves.

I now add to this telegram that, even if there had never

been any "heads" of agreement between us, in fact, not even the

Agreement of the 25th June last, I would have been as profoundly sur-

prised that a Hongkong firm of your reputation should wish to elimi-

nate from a business the very people who have just introduced it to

them.

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In view, however, of these September understandings and

"heads", which have been the basis of my negotiations with the

Texas Company over here - and which understandings you have at Do

time told my Company you were desirous of withdrawing from I would

indeed be more than surprised if you in London should really wish

to act upon Hongkong's advice. I must also recall to your mind

that, at the time of our first Agreement, you told us expressly

that the arranging of Agencies and matters of that kind was always

in your hands the parent house and that Hongkong was acting upon

your orders.

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True, since we came to these understandings, Mr. Cheethan

has resigned (of course his resignation is voluntary only in ap-

pearance and that is another matter) but surely you, in London, do

not wish to suggest that this should make the slightest difference

in regard to these understandinge. It cannot do so, for the simple

reason that you yourselves, in particular your Mr. Tompkinson, was

desirous all along to get rid of kr. Cheetham in fact, we I wrote

to Hongkong, it was a stipulation of yours from which you withdrew

only reluctantly. So here again, even if no agreement whatever

existed between us, surely you (on the advice of your Hongkong

people) are not going to use this self-desired elimination as a leveT

to force my Company out of a business, it introduced to you!

The very thought of this, coupling it with the name of

Reiss & Co., is repellant to me; and, if you consider further that

these telegrams of Mr. Carroll reached me when I had just settled

definitely with the Texas Company after speaking up for your Hong-|

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Kong firm as much as I could you will understand still better

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