Office of the Historian

File No. 9864/5–7.

Chargé Fletcher to the Secretary of State.

American Legation,
Peking,October 31, 1907.
No. 771.]

Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith a printed copy of two memorialsa to the Chinese Government, prepared by the Centenary Missionary Conference which assembled at Shanghai in May, 1907, and to report that at the request of the conference they have been submitted to the foreign office in a joint note, copy inclosed, signed by the ministers of Great Britain and Germany and myself.

The memorials explain at some length the teachings of the Christian religion, the object of Christian missions, the nonpolitical character of their teachings, and ask for complete religious liberty in China. The Chinese text of the memorials was prepared by Dr. W. A. P. Martin.

I have, etc.,

Henry P. Fletcher.
[Inclosure.]

Joint note of Sir John Jordan, Count Rex and Mr. Fletcher to the foreign office.

Peking, October 23, 1907.

Your Highness: The undersigned ministers of Great Britain and Germany, and the chargé d’affaires of America, having been requested by the China Centenary Missionary Conference to bring to the notice of the Chinese Government two memorials setting forth the object of Christian missions and asking for complete religious liberty for all Chinese Christians, now have the honor to transmit to your highness these documents, and to request that they may be submitted to the Throne.

Your highness’ board is doubtless aware that the conference from which these memorials emanate met at Shanghai in May of this year and was attended by Protestant missionaries from all parts of China. The representations which they have made in the two documents inclosed are intended in the first place to demonstrate the nonpolitical character of their teaching, and in the second to urge upon the Chinese Government the importance of granting complete religious liberty to all its subjects. If your highness will be good enough to carefully peruse the arguments of the memoralists we venture to think that your highness will be prepared to support their request, and to ask for the issuance of a decree in the sense suggested.

We avail ourselves, etc.,

  • Sir John Jordon.
  • Graf Rex.
  • Henry P. Fletcher.
  1. Not printed.↩