File No. 5315/947.
Ambassador Reid to
the Secretary of State.
American Embassy,
London, May 25,
1910.
No. 1291.]
Sir: With reference to your telegraphic
instruction of April 27 [telegram of Apr. 27, 1 p.m., repeated from
embassy at Paris] and to my cable dispatch of the 18th instant, relative
to the division of engineering rights on the Hankow-Szechuen Railway, I
have the honor to inclose herewith copy of my note to the foreign
office, dated May 16, stating that the Government of the United States
accept 400 kilometers chief engineering rights on the extension to
Ch’eng-tu and 200 kilometers subengineering rights with. Germany on the
Hupeh section, together with the foreign office reply, dated May 21,
informing me that His Majesty’s Government have learned with great
pleasure of the decision come to by the United States Government.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Ambassador Reid
to the Minister for Foreign
Affairs.
American Embassy,
London, May 16,
1910.
Sir: Referring to your note of the 11th of
April relative to the division of engineering rights on the Hukuang
Railway, I have the honor to inform you, under instructions from my
Government, that while dissenting from the principle of equal
division of the Hankow-Szechuen line, the United States Government
is disposed to accept 400 kilometers chief engineering rights on the
extension to Ch’eng-tu and 200 kilometers subengineering rights with
Germany on the Hupeh section, provided such acceptance will close
the negotiations.
As will be readily observed, this proposal, while not a formal
statement of my Government’s position, is in effect in accord with
the views of His Majesty’s Government. It would seem, therefore,
that only the acquiescence of His Majesty’s Government remains to
bring about agreement between all the interested groups, an
agreement which, as you state, would appear all the more urgent on
account of recent occurrences in the Yangtze Valley.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 2.]
The Minister for Foreign
Affairs to Ambassador Reid.
Foreign Office,
London, May 21,
1910.
No. 17548/10.
Your Excellency: I have received your
excellency’s note of the 16th instan stating that the United States
Government are disposed to accept 400 kilometers
[Page 280]
chief engineering rights on the
extension of the Hankow-Ichang line to Ch’eng-tu and 200 kilometers
sub engineering rights on the Hupeh (German) section, provided such
acceptance will close the negotiations.
His Majesty’s Government have learned with great pleasure of the
decision come to by the United States Government. They understand
that a meeting of the four groups concerned is to be held in Paris
on Monday next, May 23, for the purpose of confirming the
arrangement now arrived at.
I have, etc.
(For the Secretary of State):
F. A. Campbell.
