File No. 5315/232.
Ambassador White to the Secretary of State.
Paris, June 12, 1909.
Refers to his telegram of June 10, midnight, and says that the minister for foreign affairs in further interview this morning repeated regrets and surprise at failure of United States to take action before signature, as negotiations were going on at Peking and in Europe for more than six months past and were widely known. The minister added, when Anglo-French Co., known as Chinese Central, formed in 1905, offers of participation were made to United States and officially declined through British ambassador at Washington, since which French Government has been unaware of any desire on part of United States to participate financially in Chinese development. The minister has acertained that the agreement signed 7th, which only lacks imperial decree to make it final, includes Hankow-Canton as well as Hankow-Szechuen line, and pointed out that it provides for equality of competition as regards supplies and materials, consequently he suggested if American financial group is able to underbid those of three signatory groups contracts could probably be awarded to it in that connection; otherwise he doubts possibility of American financiers now obtaining share in this particular enterprise, but the minister expressed cordial approval of American participation in Chinese development and readiness cordially to support it in future. Adds that a note in reply to his note of the 9th will be sent next week.