File No. 611.9331/41
Minister Reinsch to
the Secretary of State
No. 1387
American Legation,
Peking,
February 13, 1917.
Sir: Referring to previous correspondence on
the subject of the Chinese Government’s discrimination against American
interests in the matter of the export of flour, and particularly to my
telegram of January 16, 6 p.m., and to the Department’s reply of January
22, [19], 4 p.m., I have the honor to enclose herewith for your
information a copy of the note (No. 559) which I addressed to the
Foreign Office on this subject under date of the 25th ultimo.
I have [etc.]
[Inclosure]
Minister Reinsch
to the Minister for Foreign Affairs
No. 559
American Legation,
Peking,
January 25, 1917.
Excellency: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your note of January 10 in regard to the
export of flour.
In reply I have the honor to state that it is difficult for me to
understand how a responsible department of the Government, such as
the Revenue Council, can make use of the arguments advanced in this
note. I have already stated repeatedly in my communications to your
Ministry that the explanation of the shipment
[Page 284]
of flour as a relief measure is a mere
pretext to cover ordinary commercial transactions. I say this
because the flour thus exported is sold on the markets of Hongkong,
Singapore, etc., to anyone who will buy it. I am informed that upon
the Hongkong market alone 350,000 barrels of Chinese flour were sold
during the year of 1916.
The idea that reliable Chinese merchants will be permitted to export
flour while other Chinese merchants and foreigners are excluded is
so novel that I believe you will agree with me that any
international court would consider it an insult to its intelligence
were such an argument advanced before it.
As always, I have endeavored to show to your Government the utmost
patience and consideration in this matter. That patience, however,
is necessarily exhausted when such arguments as those discussed
above are advanced. I am therefore under the painful necessity of
informing you that I shall instruct American merchants desirous of
exporting grain or flour from China to offer for exportation such
quantities of either as they may desire to ship. Should permission
to export be refused these American merchants while export is
permitted under any excuse, whatsoever, to Chinese merchants or
other foreigners, the American Government will hold the Chinese
Government responsible for any damage suffered by the said merchants
through the failure to grant permission to export.
I avail [etc.]
