Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 4, 1917

File No. 893.811/250

Minister Reinsch to the Secretary of State

No. 1386

American Legation,
Peking, February 13, 1917.

Sir: I have the honor to enclose several articles from various papers⁴ (such as the Peking Daily News, the Gazette, and the Peking and Tientsin Times) which will show the unfortunate effect produced by the ill-considered action of the International Corporation with respect to the Grand Canal contract.

The Peking correspondent to the North China Daily News, the leading British paper in China, states that “the Chinese would consider American cooperation with the Japanese in Shantung Province as a particularly cruel betrayal of faith.” In summarizing the attitude of the Chinese press, he states that in the Chinese editorials Americans are given their choice between charges of bad faith and unprecedented weakness.

Various American representatives here at present negotiating with Chinese officials have reported to me the injurious effect which the action of the New York corporation has had upon the standing of American business men in China.

I have [etc.]

Paul S. Reinsch

4. Not printed.