For this reason perhaps, attempts are being made in the House of Commons to secure some sort of information as to the position of unsecured loans, as the following question and answer show Mr, Romer asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if his attention had been called to the fact that while the proceeds of the Boxer Indemnity were to be paid 0 the Hongkong University and the Universities' Chinese Committee in London, the Chinese Government 8 per cent. ten-year Sterling Treasury Bills 1924-28 (Marconi), the Chinese Government & per cent. Sterling Treasury Notes, 1925-29 (Vickers), and the Chinese Government engage ments to bankers and others were unpaid; and if he would give an undertaking that no decision would be taken in this matter until all the obligations of the Chinese Govern~ ment had been fully met.
Mr. Dalton replied—The agreement recently concluded with the Chinese Government, subject to the approval of Parliament, as to the disposal of the Indemnity funds, contemplates the payment of a coniparatively small proportion of those fands to Hongkong University and the Universities' China Committee.
Details will be found in the, White Paper to be issued shortly. His Majesty's Minier in China has made repeated representations on behalf of British holders of Chinese fernment. obligations which are in default, and their claims will con tinue to be pressed. This question Is, however, entirely distinct from that of the remission of the Indemnity, which, as the hon, member is no doubt aware, was promised by Government in December 1922.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.