CO129-440 - Others & Individuals - 1916 — Page 752

Messrs. L.Reiss Bros.& Co.,London,

Messrs.Reiss & Co., Hongkong.

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5

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751 June 1st, 1916.

and 1 do indeed wonder what Mr. Stabb, the Hongkong manager, and Sir

Charles Addis and Mr. Jones, its London managers, will think of this ac-

cusation of yours; and my counsel is ourious to know what his confreres

in London would say to this pretty Hongkong story, as he calls it.

Moreover, there is your second breach, referred to on a pre-

vicus page and committed in Hongkong on the 19th or 20th May, i.e. after

Hongkong had heard from you in London that the Bank had urged upon the

Texas Co, your firm's appointment and after Hongkong knew that the

Bank had been refused; and yet, this second breach was committed, in

the light of which the denial of your first breach seems more strange

than ever.

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Now as to the serious statement: "Hongkong Government refuses

port and cable facilities any agenoy in which Sanders, Rehders are con-

cerned", it is of course quite evident that Sir, F.H. May has never made

this sweeping statement (unless certain representations or rather mis-

representations have been made to him), seeing that it would be in di-

rect contradiation to the following bare facts:

(▲) that the Colonial Office informed my Company on the 4th

January last, that H.E. the Governor, after stating that Mr. Cheetham

had resigned his post, was prepared to recognize Mesura. Reiss & Co..

provided they be appointed my Company's agents. N.B. Both you in

London and Hongkong are well aware of this; in fact a copy of this

very letter is in your hands,

(B) that not only did we offer to appoint you cur agents, but

we proposed to give you a far stronger hold upon this business, name-

F