The Secretary of State to Minister Rockhill.
Washington, November 25, 1905.
Sir: On the 15th instant the Chinese minister handed to me a telegram from his Government, explaining and expressing regret for the recent murder of the American missionaries at Ying tak.
I said to him that there was a widespread feeling that his Government had not done all that could be done, particularly in the southern Provinces, to put an end to the boycott of American goods; that well-informed persons asserted that the proclamations which had been issued were not of such a character as to lead the Chinese population to understand that the Government really meant what it said; that the people of the United States could not fail to refer the recent murder of missionaries at Ying tak to the spirit created among the people of southern China by the long continuance of the boycott; that we should expect that the expressions of regret for the massacre, which we were glad to receive from the Chinese Government, would be followed by prompt and vigorous action to put an end to the boycott, which we believe to be the real cause of the difficulty.
The minister said that he would communicate this to his Government.
The above is communicated to you for your information merely.
I am, etc.,