Mr. Choate to Lord Salisbury.
London, December 6, 1899.
My Lord: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your lordship’s note of November 30, in which you inform me that, after having carefully considered, in connection with your colleagues, the proposals contained in my note of September 22 last, Her Majesty’s Government is prepared to make a declaration in the sense desired by my Government in regard to the leased territory of Wei-hai Wei and all territory in China which may hereafter be acquired by Great Britain by lease or otherwise, and all “spheres of interest” now held, or which may hereafter be held, by her in China, provided that a similar declaration is made by other powers.
In acknowledging your lordship’s note, I have also, under instructions from the Secretary of State, to express to your lordship the gratification he feels at the cordial acceptance by Her Britannic Majesty’s Government of the proposals of the United States.
I have, etc.,