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friendly in his conduct of official relations, expressed the warmest agreement with these sentiments, and said that the idea had occurred to him that if two or three represen- tatives of his Government and of ours could be got together round a table this particular question, as well as other questions, could easily be solved. He felt certain that this was the opinion and attitude of the new Administration of America.
While expressing my pleasure at this assurance, I said that we had better wait until the new Ambassador, Colonel Harvey, arrived in a few weeks' time, since I should doubtless hear from him authoritatively what his Government proposed in this and similar cases. I owned to Mr. Wright that I had been a little disturbed at the interchange of despatches of a rather contentious character that had recently been I thought this was a pity from the point of going on between our two Governments. view of both Governments and both nations. I knew the American people to be very sensitive, and I always bore this in mind, but, though our people in comparison were slow, they were capable of great resentment when their national pride was touched or when they were unjustly accused.
Mr. Butler Wright said that he had nothing but gratitude for the friendly reception which had always been extended to him in our Foreign Office, and that be would not fail to convey my sentiments to his Government, and hoped that they might be not without effect.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be returned to the Foreign Offce if not required for ofilcial use i
(F.1435/181/10).
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Cypher telegram to Sir B. Alston (Peking).
Foreign Office, 20th April 1981. 3 p.m.
No. 159. ).
560
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am, &c.
CURZON OF KEDLESTON.
My telegram No.156.
When handing Note to the American Chargé d'Affaires I said I was a little surprised at the tone and language of the American memorandum. This was a dispute in which different views were entertained by the two Governments, and as we felt we were on strong ground I was surprised that the American Government were amazed at our contentions and had concluded their memorandum by indicating that in the solution of this question the continuance of good This seemed unusual language relations was involved.
in a matter of secondary importance which ought to be disposed of without raising larger issues of comity.
I imparted the information contained in your telegrams Nos. 90 and 153 on the way this American contract had been acquired, which could not fail to colour our opinion as
The Chargé d'Affaires to the nature of the transaction.
had never heard of Parnes Koss or of the transaction.
I further said that as the Great Powers had lately come to an agreement regarding Chinese finance without difficulty,
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