The Under Secretary of State
May 4th, 1916.
655
contract with my Company, just referred to, but even Mr. Holyoak's recently reiterated assurance that his firm would pledge itself not to approach the Texas Company,
In all my long experience, both in China and in the City, and in dealing with all sorts of people, I have never come across a flagrant breach of contract such as this, in violation of that commercial morality which has made British trade what it is, and which is one of the country's most precious assets.
And these are the people who dare to use my own status as a naturalised British subject of long standing, unassailable as it is,
as a lever and threat for those underhand attempts of theirs to exclude my Company from the valuable agency, and, in acting thus, to seriously injure its interests in this business and in others.
I venture to refer you to my confidential letter of yesterday's date to Mr. Wade Gardner, giving as it does the exact wording of the cable received by him from his Hongkong office, and showing more fully than I have tried to convey to you in the foregoing the unfortunate position which Messrs. Reiss's attitude has now created.
At the time of writing I have not spoken to Mr. Wade Gardner, but one of the immediate results of this fatal blunder (if not righted by him immediately) must be to nullify all my previous efforts to keep the finance of this business, and of the cargo referred to above, in British hands; in other words, the very Bank which lends itself - unconsciously of course as I wrote to Mr. Gardner - to this attempt of Messrs. Reiss is actually working for its own elimination from this business.
:
The Under Secretary of State
May 4th,
1916.
655
contract with my Company, just referred to, but even Mr. Holyoak's re- cently reiterated assurance that his firm would pledge itmf not to ap- proach the Texas Company,
In all my long experienos, both in Jhina and in the Oity, and in dealing with all sorts of people, I have never come across a flagrant breach of contract such as this, in violation of that comercial nor-
ality which has made British trade what it is, and which is one of the country's most precious assete.
And these are the people who dare te use my own status se a naturalised British subject of long standing unassailable as it in
as a lever and threat for those underhand attempts of theire to exclude my Jompany from the valuable agency, and, in acting thus, to seriously injure its interests in this business and in others.
emelose dat venture to refer you to my confiden-
A
For further particulars, tial letter of yesterday's date to Mr. Wade Gardner, giring as it does the exact wording of the cable received by him from his Hongkong ofiice, and showing more fully than I have tried to convey to you in the forego- ing the unfortunate position which Leesra, Heiss's attitude has now or6- atada
At the time of writing I have not spoke to Mz, Wade Gardner, but one of the immediate results of this fatal blunder (if not righted by him inmediately) must be to nullify all my previcas efforts to keep the finance of this business, and of the cargo referred to abow, in British hands; in other words, the very Bank which lends itself - 1.004** sciously of course as I wrote to Mr. Gardner - to this attempt of Messrs. Reiss is actually working for its own elimination from this business,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.