Ambassador Hill to the Secretary of State.
Berlin, June 29, 1909.
Mr. Hill refers to department’s telegram of June 25, 1 p.m., and says the foreign office informs him that the German group advised it on the 25th, under date June 24, that it had proposed to English and French groups, in reply to their suggestions, to telegraph Peking representatives accepting American participation as to one-fourth of two and one-half million pounds, provided American group does not participate in chief engineers and materials; negotiations to be conducted at Peking through Chinese and American legation or representative of syndicate there.
Adds that the foreign office explains amount as above by stating that of total of five and one-half million pounds, one-half million is to repurchase bonds from Belgians, two and one-half millions for Canton-Hankow line, and the remainder for Hankow-Szechuen line, to which alone American claim to preference applies.