Mr. White to Mr.
Hay.
Embassy
of the United States,
Berlin, February 26,
1902.
No. 1868.]Sir: Referring to my dispatch (No. 1866) of
to-day’s date, I have the honor to inform you of the receipt this
afternoon of the written communication promised me by Baron Richthofen
with regard to the provisional government at Tientsin, China.
A copy of this note, which is in reply to a note addressed by me to the
foreign office on the 12th instant, embodying the contents of your
instruction (No. 1287) of January 29, as well as a translation of the
same, is appended hereto.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
Baron von
Richthofen to Mr. White.
Berlin, February 25,
1902.
In reply to his note of the 12th instant (F. O., No. 1108) the
undersigned has the honor to inform his excellency the ambassador
extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States of America,
Dr. Andrew D. White, as follows:
The Imperial Government is entirely in accordance with the views of
the Government of the United States in looking upon the
establishment of the provisional government in Tientsin merely as a
necessary expedient which should be done away with as soon as
possible. The Imperial Government, however, is in doubt as to
whether the provisional government can be done away with at the
present moment
[Page 189]
without
making uncertain the early completion of the improvement of the
river Peiho, which is indispensable for the safety of the foreign
legations in Peking. Besides, the foreigners in Tientsin, as well as
the Chinese there, especially the merchants, according to reports
which have been received here, are satisfied with the provisional
government on account of the advantages offered by an integrant
administration. Nevertheless, in consideration of the wishes of the
American Government, the Imperial Government is ready to state its
willingness’ to fix a date, say about the middle of the current
year, for the abolition of the provisional government. In doing this
measures must be taken to insure the immediate carrying out of the
regulation of the river bed up to Tientsin, including the removal of
the bars before the mouth of the Peiho (for the safety of the
foreigners in Peking, a matter of equal interest to all the powers),
and to preserve to the foreign military element a certain amount of
control over this work.
The undersigned avails himself of the occasion, etc.,
