File No. 893.51/1278.
The Department of State to the British Embassy.
[Memorandum handed to Lord Percy of the British Embassy in confirmation of oral statement made to him in Division of Far Eastern Affairs when he presented Embassy’s note of February 5, 1913.]
The American Minister at Peking was advised last night that the State Department would accept the three nominations made by the Chinese or as an alternative the proposal that a Britisher, a German and a Frenchman be named for the three posts in question.
The Department has not approved of the proposal for two advisers for the audit department, one French and one Russian, of equal rank and authority.
The Department has also instructed Mr. Calhoun that if an immediate settlement cannot be reached he should urge a postponement of the discussion of nominations in order that advances be not delayed.