Mr. Tower to Mr. Hay.
Berlin, February 20, 1904.
(Mr. Tower reports that Department’s telegram conveying the reply of the Russian Government has been communicated to the German minister for foreign affairs, who said that the German Government is gratified that the proposal of the United States concerning the neutrality of China has been so generally accepted in principle by the powers. In the course of the conversation he intimated that he considers it to be of moment that China be made aware how important it is that she should scrupulously respect the laws of neutrality herself, and he intimated also that a message to this effect has already gone to China from Germany.)