Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-17
MATTER SETTLED TODAY
Americans on Same Plane With
Others in Supplying Materials.
SECRETARY KNOX TO EXPLAIN
Not Amount of Money Involved,
But a Principle Which Actu-
ated This Government.

| pEkINC; August 1I-Amercan partici-
! patton in the Hankow Sze-Chuen railroad
! loan was definitely settled at the Offices
! of the foreign board this morning by
| Henry f. Fletcher. the American charge
d'affares. and Liang TunYen. president
| of the board. The loan is to be in
| creased from s21. 5OOOtO to 100000. 600. and
| of this latter amount American bankers
| are to get one-quarter the other three
| quarters going to British French and
German interests.
| Americans are to have equal oppor-
tunitv 10 supply material for both the
| SET -Chuen and the Canton lines and the
branches. They will appoint subordinate
engineers and they will have also one
half of all future loans of the SEE -Chuen
| railroad and its branches. with CORE
spending advantages.
Details to Be Soon Completed.
The details of this settlement will be
arranged after the arrival here the end
of this week of Willard D. Straight. the
representative of the American financiers
interested The protest lodged by Mr.
Fletcher against the completion of the
loan with British. French and German
interests alone will be withdrawn. and
oil culCl tSSucu dutlOT1ZlnS the
of the undertaking. The entire question
will then be conclusively settled.
The settlement reached today prevents
actual American investment in the aban-
doned Hankow-Canton line but neverthe-
less 1t is the opinion here that American
capital has been placed on an equality
with other capital in China
Secretary Knox to Make Statement
Secretary Knox, who is now on his way
to New York, contemplates making a pub
lie statement bearing on the general sub
ject of American participation in the Chi
nese railway loan. 1t will cover various
features, concerning which public inter
est has been manifested, and, it is ex-
pected. will explain the attitude of the
State Department, which has been SO insist
ent for American participation Of the loan.
The Secretary has been giving the subject
great deal of personal attention and has
taken a deep interest in the underta taking.
The final settlement of the issue, which
has been pending so long, is regarded as
victory for the State Department, which
all along insisted that American capital
should share in the financing of the SEE
Chuen railroad.
The United States government has stood
up for its rights in this project, and the
result of its protests against being ex-
|cluded from the enterprise shows that the
Chinese government realized that it's
claim was just.
Augurs Well for Future.
The State Department officials say the
result augurs well for the future. as the
dispatches from Peking indicate that
American capital will be placed on an
equality with foreign money in the great
Chinese empire.
The officials also say ii was not the
mere amount of money involved in the
proposed loan that was at stake. 1t was
a matter of principle. The question is
broad one. and the settlement arrived at
in Peking today indicates that the prod
uct of American industries will be used
in the construction of the road and that
American engineers will assist in its
supervision. The result is another step
in the cOnsummation of the policy of the
open door" in China.