Mr. Conger to Mr. Hay.
Peking, March 29, 1902.
Sir: I note to-day, in the Washington Post of February 14, that Congress refuses to provide for any student interpreters for China. This is greatly to be regretted. The Chinese secretary or interpreter at this legation is an absolute necessity, and without whom the business of the legation must stop. The same is true of the more important consulates.
When Mr. Cheshire, who had acted as interpreter for about eighteen years, resigned there was only one man in China suitable for the place who could be obtained, Mr. E. T. Williams. If anything should happen to take him permanently from us there is not another suitable [Page 228] man anywhere who could be induced to take his place; and the United States Government, with the great and growing importance of it; interests here, can not afford to take such a risk. No private concern o: one-fiftieth the importance would take any such chances for even a moment.
Everyone of the other great powers here has two or more interpreter of long experience, and from three to twenty students being prepare at government expense for future work. We are thus placed at a verj great disadvantage before the Chinese and among the other legations. It is largely through the interpreters that the legations are kept ir touch with the Chinese or able to secure valuable current information. No one can become an efficient interpreter of both the written and spoken language in less than five to ten years, and no one who does not make a specialty of the mandarin language and of official Chinese life can ever fit himself for the work. The average missionary, although he may have been here twenty years, has pursued his studies along one single line, the foreigner engaged in business along another special route, so that neither is equipped for official or diplomatic work.
The objection made by Congress, that there was no assurance that the students would remain in the Government service after learning the Chinese language, could be easily overcome by requiring them to give a bond, as the English do, that they will remain in the service for a certain number of years.
It is possible that it was the intention, when a second secretary was provided for this legation, with a requirement that he should study Chinese, that he might finally become an interpreter, but the work of the legation has increased so rapidly since then that he can find little time to devote to study. At any rate, did he become ever so efficient, it could not be expected that he would, under any circumstances, resign his office, and, at the same post, accept an inferior one. I can not emphasize too strongly the absolute necessity of making provisions for supplying a vacancy which may, at any time, occur most disastrously in the most important place in the legation staff.
Would it not be possible for Congress to create the office of assistant interpreter, with a graduated salary, beginning with $1,000 per annum, with an annual increase of $250 until it reaches $2,500 per year? This, I think, would induce some bright young man to enter the service as a career. This is a most important matter, and I hope that Congress may be induced to make some such provision.
I have, etc.,