File No. 893.51/1368A.
The Acting Secretary of
State to the President.
Department of State,
Washington,
March 25, 1913.
Mr. President: I have the honor to enclose
herewith a memorandum of a conversation I had to-day with the Chinese
Minister. I informed the Minister that I would take great pleasure in
transmitting to you the substance of the message from President Yuan
Shih Kai but that I understood that it was your intention to defer any
discussion of your recent statement with the foreign representatives in
Washington until the return of the Secretary of State.
The Minister expressed his entire satisfaction with this arrangement, and
I gathered from the conversation that on the return of the Secretary the
Minister may request an opportunity of presenting the text of the
message to you in person.
Very respectfully,
[Inclosure—Memorandum.]
[Untitled]
The Chinese Minister called at the Department today and informed the
Acting Secretary of State, Mr. Adee, that he had received special
instructions from President Yuan Shih Kai to make formal expression
of the thanks of the people of China and of their appreciation of
the just and magnanimous attitude of President Wilson indicated in
the public statement recently issued by him which was accepted by
the Chinese Government as an expression of sincere friendship toward
the Republic and people of China whose aims and aspirations in the
establishment of liberal institutions find such ready response in
America.
The Minister further expressed the belief of the Chinese Government
that the friendship now so happily existing between the two
countries will be further strengthened as a result of this
policy.
Department of State,
Washington, March 25, 1913.
