Mr. Jackson to Mr. Hay.

No. 1318.]

Sir: Referring to Mr. White’s dispatch (1311) of the 21st instant, I have the honor to inform you of the receipt to-day of a memorandum from the Imperial foreign office, a translation of which will be found on the overleaf, and to confirm my cipher telegram to you, of to-day’s date, as follows (paraphrase):

(Mr. Jackson, referring to Mr. White’s telegram of the 21st, states that the German Government expresses itself in complete accord with the views in Mr. Hay’s telegram of July 20, to utilize services of friendly Chinese authorities, and will gladly [Page 330] participate in any measures undertaken to bring about the desired end. The minister informs Mr. Jackson that steps which were taken several days ago to communicate with the German legation at Pekin have not yet been successful, and no great hopes are entertained that it will be possible to find trustworthy Chinese intermediaries.)

I have the honor to be, etc.,

John B. Jackson,
Chargé d’Affaires.
[Inclosure.—Translation.]

“Pro memoria” from the German foreign office July 25, 1900, referring to a memorandum left at the foreign office by Mr. White on July 21.

The Imperial Government is in complete accord with the view expressed in the telegram from the Secretary of State of the United States of America, that it is very desirable to make use of the services of friendly Chinese officials in order to obtain further information from the besieged legations in Pekin and to effect communication with them. The Imperial Government will gladly participate in any measure undertaken to bring about this end, but it can not pretend to entertain any great hope that it will be possible, in view of the existing notoriously difficult situation to find any really trustworthy Chinese intermediaries. Nevertheless, steps were taken by the Imperial Government several days ago analagous to those taken by Mr. Hay, which have not been successful as yet.

The foreign office will not fail to inform the embassy of the result without delay.