893.51/2622
The French Ambassador (Jusserand) to the Secretary of State
Mr. Secretary of State: As Your Excellency no doubt heard direct from the representative of the United States in China, the Minister of Finance of that country notified the members of the former Consortium that unless satisfactory action were taken before the 16th of this month on his Government’s applications for advances, he would consider that he is no longer bound by article 17 of the Financial Reorganization arrangement69 and feel at liberty to borrow wherever he chose and offer the salt revenue as a security.
My Government informs me that on the main ground of the understanding reached by the Governments as to a loan to China by the new Consortium in the sum of five million pounds sterling, the representatives of France and Great Britain demanded the withdrawal of that injunction, but the Japanese Minister refused to join in the protest.
In my Government’s opinion, it would be highly important to have the representative of the United States, on the new Consortium join ours in that protest, although the United States did withdraw from the old Consortium.
I have the honor to communicate the request to Your Excellency and should be very thankful if you would entertain it and enable me to report a favorable decision to My Government.
Be pleased [etc.]
- John V. A. MacMurray (ed.), Treaties and Agreements with and concerning China, vol. ii, p. 1007.↩