Mr. Adee to Mr. Yang Yü.
Washington, August 31, 1895.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 13th instant, addressed to Hon. Richard Olney, at Falmouth, Mass., in which, referring to the investigation now being made concurrently by China, Great Britain, and the United States, into the recent riots at Kutien, you state that your Government “expresses the hope that the Secretary of State may be prevailed upon to issue instructions to Minister Denby not to unite with the British minister at Peking in causing difficulties to the Chinese Government, and thus hamper its action and seriously hinder the execution of its good intentions.”
In the conference which I had the pleasure of having with you on the 19th instant, you communicated to me the substance of this note, which had not at that time been sent back by Mr. Olney to this Department, and I now take pleasure in reiterating to you the positive assurance I then gave that this Government was investigating the Kutien riots concurrently with Great Britain only so far as was necessary to protect American interests of person and property, and not to assist that power in any supposed ulterior political object.
Accept, etc.,
Acting Secretary