.C
}
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As to the Hongkong people, if I wrote you in my first letter that the problem seemed to be to make people see that they were acting against their own interests, I now find that the problem confronting us ia a far more serious one. In fact, there is now no further doubt that the London firm are actually backing Hongkong and have tried to manoeu- ver us out of the business.
I have now a letter before me which reads:
London,E.C. 24th, Jan.1916. "Oonfirming our last of 21 at inst., we have now received a reply to our cable to Hongkong of that date.
Cur friends will only undertake the handling of the balance of the "FANALA" çɛrɛo on condition that the contract made between us on 26th June last, but which is now suspended by the departure of ar. Cheetham be withdrawn, and the terms therein be considered null and void.
railing this arrangement, our Hongkong firm have decided to give up the agency at once."
The letter of the 21st (referred to in the letter just quoted) contained another of Hongkong 's threats, oabled even to the Texaco's own | representative, Mr. Douglase viz: that your Bank would close the 011
godowns. Whatever possessed Lr. Holyoake to use your Bank even for
-
his purposes. Of course, even if one of your Hongkong gentlemen has said this, how can olyoake telegraph this threat to the Texaco's repre-
Bentative !
By the latter of the 24th, it is now clearly proved that, finding that they could not eliminate us from the contract with the
Texaco by paying us what they call an adequate return, which however they do not state (as they wrote on the 14th ulto.), they have been trying to en.orce our acquiescence to the scrapping of a contract, 90
as to leave them a free hand with the ezaso, under the threat to throw
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