Mr. Conger to Mr. Hay.
Peking, October 7, 1902.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of instruction No. 556, of August 27 last, with information that the President had appointed four student interpreters provided for by the diplomatic and consular appropriation act of March 22, 1902, and that two of these, Messrs. Haskins and Arnold, were sailing hither on the army transport leaving San Francisco September 1, and inclosing copy of their instructions.
You state that the Department is disposed to defray the expense of their Chinese teachers in the same manner as in the case of the second secretary of this legation, but, before deciding which definitely, you instruct me to report as to the exact outlay which will be required on this account for the ten students.
The Chinese teacher employed for the second secretary has been paid $12 Mexican per month for two hours each day. For six or seven ours per day, which is the time required of teachers in the other [Page 234] legations, it will cost now $20 Mexican per month, and each student must have a separate teacher. Hence the entire expense for the ten students will be regularly $200 Mexican per month. Some legations pay less than this, but this is now paid by the British legation, and we will have to do the same.
If, during the heated term, the students go into the country for a brief period, as other students here do, and as seems absolutely necessary on account of their health, the expense of taking their teachers out and an extra amount for rice will have to be paid, probably about $6 per month. This would be $60 per month for, say, two months, making the total for the whole year for the ten students, $2,520 Mexican.
I respectfully recall attention to my No. 1077, of August 29 last, and again urge the importance of Congress making more liberal appropriations for these young men and the imperative necessity of inc; hiding a suitable house for them among the new legation buildings.
I have, etc.,