File No.893.811/128.
Minister Reinsch to the Secretary of State.
Peking, May 28, 1914.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs has asked me to make known to you his Government’s appreciation of the good offices of our Government in the matter of the Huai River conservancy and particularly of its action in making available for this purpose so distinguished an engineer as Colonel Sibert; and he further requested me to express through the Department to the American Red Cross the gratitude of the Chinese Government for the assistance of that society in making the necessary arrangements with American financial and industrial interests and for its generosity in assuming so liberal a financial responsibility in connection with the preliminary survey which is about to be undertaken.