File No. 322.93/7.

The American Chargé d’Affaires to the Secretary of State.

No. 119.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt this morning of the Department’s telegram of July 17 with reference to the protection [Page 437] of the persons and property of the Chinese subjects resident in Ecuador.

In the month of April there was a renewal of anti-Chinese demonstration in the coast provinces of “Manabi,” “Los Bios” and “El Oro.” For the most part these were directed against individuals and were promptly reported to this Legation by the President of the Chinese Beneficent Society of Guayaquil. Each one of the complaints received I took personally to the Minister for Foreign Relations and thoroughly discussed the matter with him in an informal manner.

Dr. Arcos, the Minister for Foreign Relations, on every occasion took the utmost trouble to investigate the abuses reported and showed me the telegraphic correspondence which had passed between him and the local authorities, which on the part of the Minister for Foreign Relations contained instructions that the Chinese were to be given the full protection of the law, and reprimands to those officials who had railed to do their duty either through neglect or personal interest.

An attack of a much more serious nature occurred last month at Chone in the Province of Manabi. There are in Chone eleven Chinese stores. A demonstration was made by the natives against the Chinese, violence was attempted and some shooting took place. Fortunately however no Chinese were wounded. The result has been that the Chinese closed their stores and did no business, as I am informed, for a period of twenty-two days. At the present moment this Legation is awaiting documentary evidence of the failure of the local authorities in Chone to properly protect the Chinese in order to lay the matter before the central Government.

I have [etc.]

Rutherfurd Bingham.