§ Mr. BARNESasked the Secretary for Foreign Affairs if the British interests in the Imperial Chinese Government railway contracts have yet been settled; and, if so, will he take an early opportunity of making a statement on the matter?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI am unaware of what contracts the hon. Member refers to, but if he is alluding to the Hankow-Szechuan and Hankow-Canton Railway Loan, an arrangement was come to in Paris in May last between the four financial groups concerned, representing British, American, French, and German interests in regard to this matter, on the basis of an equal division of the line among the four groups. The question has been submitted to the Chinese Government, and is now under their consideration.