File No. 493.11/418.
The American Chargé
d’Affaires to the Secretary of
State.
No. 970.]
American Legation,
Peking,
August 13, 1913.
Sir: With reference to the request contained
in the memorandum of July 15, 1913, from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs,1 a copy of
which was forwarded to the Department with my No. 932 of the 17th
ultimo, I now have the honor to enclose a copy of the Legation’s
memorandum of even date to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs transmitting
a tentative list of claims for losses, incurred by American citizens
during the revolution (1911–1912). I have the honor to enclose, also, a
copy of Diplomatic Circular No. 174,1 from which it will be noted that the Legations in
Peking will send identic memoranda to the Foreign Office.
I have [etc.]
[Inclosure—Memorandum.]
The American Legation
to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
In the memorandum dated July 15, 1913, the Wai Chiao Pu expressed a
desire to be furnished with a list of claims arising out of the
Revolution and declared that its motive for making this request was
to gain time and to facilitate the ascertainment of the claims.
The American Legation appreciates this motive and shares the Wai
Chiao Pu’s desire to expedite the settlement of the claims and
therefore transmits herewith to the Wai Chiao Pu a list of the
private claims arising out of the Revolution.1
Though the American Legation has endeavored to render the list as
complete as possible it reserves to itself the right to add new
claims to those specified in the enclosed document.
The American Legation wishes to express a desire that instead of only
one committee which would discuss the claims with the
representatives of all the Legations in succession, the Chinese
Government should appoint several subcommittees, working if
necessary under the direction of one president, each competent to
discuss, with the representatives of a limited number of Legations,
the private claims appertaining to the citizens of their respective
States. This measure will realize the common desire to gain
time.
American Legation,
Peking, August 13, 1913.
