Draft telegram to Sir H. Lampson, Feking.
69
Your telegrams Nos. 98, 99 and 102 (Boxer Indemnity).
These notes have to be submitted to Parliament and we
must be in a position to give detailed explanation as to
their exact significanos. It is therefore necessary to
remove certain obscurities in Note A in your telegram
No. 99, and this has been done in draft which will be
found in my immediately following telegram.
I am glad to find Chinese admitting that the terms of
sxisting contracts will be taken into consideration, though
I imagine their object is to get Chinese materials need
where existing contracts provide for these, but admission
dees imply that they will respect 1911 Ruknang Agreement
and other existing contrasts. This ought to safeguard
Consortium rights from Chinese svanion. I note from your
telegram No. 102 that this admission is distasteful to
Minister of Railways and according to your telegram No. 110
he is working behind our backs in order to utilise our
own money,vis. the Indemnity funds, in a deliberate attempt
to ignore and evade his country's obligations, so insistence
on admission regarding existing contracts appears to me
essential.
As regards Minister of Railways' proposals (your
telegram No. 102) phrase about "extension of certain
"important uncompleted lines" appears unnecessary in view
of my revision of Note A, which makes the whole proposal
apply (as was intended) not only to reconditioning existing
lines but also to new construction. The phrase "British
"commercial interests" camot be accepted sime all lines
in/
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