Mr. Tower to Mr. Hay.
St. Petersburg, March 13, 1902.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 280, of the 21st of February, with its inclosures relating to the obstructions to telegraphic communication at Niuchwang.
At an interview which I had with Count Lamsdorff, Imperial minister for foreign affairs, yesterday, I called his attention again to this question and informed him of the complaints that reach the Department of State from American merchants in China as to the inconveniences and delay caused by the restrictions recently imposed by the local authorities at Niuchwang to the sending and receiving of telegraphic messages, particularly when these are in cipher.
Reminding Count Lamsdorff of the necessity of permitting a foreign consul to communicate freely by telegraph with his official chief, and of the requirement of merchants to reach in a similar manner their [Page 925] various correspondents, I earnestly requested him to have such regulations adopted at Niuchwang as would remove the causes of complaint.
Monsieur de Lamsdorff listened attentively to these representations and promised me that he should endeavor to secure as soon as possible the relief asked for by the complainants.
I have, etc.,