893.74/55: Telegram
The Minister in China ( Crane ) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received December 29—10:10 a.m.]
467. Reference is made to the Department’s telegram no. 384 of December 21, 4 p.m., which was received after the sending of the Legation’s telegram no. 458 of December 21 [22], 6 p.m. See the Legation’s telegram no. 443 of December 16, 7 p.m. for the terms of the pertinent portions of the prospective Federal Company’s contract. There is no mention regarding the bond disposal. Federal Telegraph Company’s representative is also ignorant in this respect, but believes that owing to the smallness of amount there will be no public issue. The Legation’s representative can find no curtailment of equality of opportunities nor monopolistic features. The Legation feels called upon to leave the question of encroachment on consortium sphere to the judgment of the Department on the evidence of the information provided in the Legation’s previous telegrams together with further facts to be procured from the Federal Telegraph [Page 408] Company, although it assumes that there is no encroachment on consortium. The signature by the company will first be necessary for the contract to go into effect.