Mr. Iddings to
Mr. Hay.
Embassy of the United States,
Rome, Italy, November 7, 1900.
No. 683.]
Sir: Referring to your cablegram of October
221 last, the contents of
which, as directed, I immediately communicated to the Italian
Government, I beg leave now to inclose (with translation) a copy of
a note in reply, received yesterday from the minister for foreign
affairs. The minister expresses his satisfaction that the views of
the Government at Washington, as communicated to the French
Government, coincide with the principles which guide the present
policy of the Royal Government at Rome in Chinese matters.
I telegraphed to you yesterday the point of this reply from the
minister for foreign affairs. The text of that dispatch will be
found in the last paragraph of the translation of the minister’s
note.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure—Translation.]
Marquis Venosta to Mr. Iddings.
Mr. Chargé d’affaires: I have the honor
to acknowledge the receipt of your note of October 23 in which
you communicated to me the text of a telegram which had been
addressed to you by your Government concerning matters in
China.
In it were recapitulated the replies of the Cabinet at Washington
to that at Paris concerning the necessity of hastening
negotiations with the Chinese plenipotentiaries and the opinion
which your Government also communicated to the Government of the
French Republic that great and salutary influence would be
exercised over the Chinese Emperor and his Government if the
powers should make, collectively, a declaration of their
determination to preserve the territorial and administrative
entirety of China, and to insure for the Chinese nation and
themselves the benefits of free trade between China and the rest
of the world.
In thanking you for this communication, I am glad to say that the
views set forth in it coincide with the principles which guide
the policy of the Royal Government itself in the present Chinese
question.
Pray accept, etc.,
