Mr. Denby to Mr. Olney.
Peking , May 9, 1896 . (Received June 10.)
Sir: In my dispatch No. 2520, of the 2d instant, I reported to you that I had requested the Tsung li Yamên to pay the American Baptist Missionary Union claim for $16,180, on account of damages for injuries suffered in Szechuan in 1895.
I have now the honor to report that this sum of money has been ordered to be paid to Consul-General Jernigan. Strictly, it should have been paid to the consul at Hangkow, but the Yamên represented that it would be more conveniently paid at Shanghai, and I acquiesced.
It is proper to mention that the Viceroy of Szechuan reported that two Swedes or Norwegians claimed $4,000 damages. The Yamên inquired of me whether these claims were included in the general claim of the Union. I answered that no Swedish or Norwegian claim had ever been presented tome; that I knew nothing about such claims, and that I did not believe that they were included in the general claim. I said, however, to make the matter sure and to protect China against paying any claim twice, I would instruct the consul-general to ascertain before he paid the money to the Baptist Union whether the gross [Page 52] sum demanded by it did include any portion of the Swedish or Norwegian claims, and if it did, he would await my instructions before paying out the money. Taking the amount of the Swedish or Norwegian claims into consideration, I do not believe that they were included in the claim of the Union, but I could not ascertain here the names of the non-American claimants, and as missionary associations often employ men of divers nationalities, I thought it best to be sure of the point before paying the money over. I have instructed the consul-general in the sense stated.
The claim I made was in gross, and no item whatever was specified
I have, etc.,