893.74/425: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Schurman)

[Paraphrase]

25. With reference to your telegram 5 of January 4, Schwerin6 informs Department that he would be very glad if a solution could be found which would end the continued agitation to which the Chinese are subjected because of the Federal contract. He does not believe, however, that the Federal Telegraph Company can take over the Mitsui station at Peking to relieve the Japanese of a bad bargain. He says that should his company try to unite with the Japanese, the latter would insist upon sharing in the activities of all the company’s stations. He also says that this would nullify all the efforts of his company to give the American and Chinese people the right of communication with each other without interference from any other country.

Schwerin says he cannot go back to China before March.

Phillips
  1. R. P. Schwerin, president of the Federal Telegraph Co. of Delaware.