File No. 893.51/1907a–g, 2513c
The Secretary of State to Certain American Bankers 1
Dear Sir: The matter of making a loan or loans by private banking institutions to the Government of China is under consideration by this Government. With the idea of coming to some definite understanding on the subject, and in order to arrive at some plan of operation, I am asking the representatives of a few banks, interested in such matters, to meet with me and to discuss the question. The institutions I have in mind are the National City Bank, Kuhn, Loeb & Co., J. P. Morgan & Co., Guaranty Trust Co., the First National Bank and the Chase National Bank, all of New York, the Continental & Commercial Trust & Savings Bank of Chicago, and Lee, Higginson & Co., of Boston. The idea is that after a discussion of the matter, and a possible agreement as to the method of procedure any of the banks above named which might desire to proceed should do so, and that any other banks not herein mentioned, but which might be interested, or which might be invited to participate, could be included.
I will be very glad if you will come or send a duly authorized representative to meet with me and the representatives of the other institutions on next Wednesday, June 26, at 11.30 o’clock.
I am [etc.]
- Those mentioned in this letter, who later, with a few others, became the American Group.↩