Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 8, 1914

File No. 893.011/17.

Minister Reinsch to the Secretary of State.

No. 281]

American Legation,
Peking, June 24, 1914.

Sir: In continuation of my despatch No. 255 of June 5,1 have the honor to enclose herewith a memorandum by the Chinese Secretary on the subject of governmental developments between May 26, 1914, and June 20.

It is a significant fact that the process of creating a government for the Chinese nation out-of-hand is going on apparently without arousing any strong public interest, either by way of commendation or adverse criticism. It is, however, a debatable point how far [Page 61] the enforcement of the Press Regulations, promulgated April 2, 1914, has served to discourage newspaper comment that would have otherwise made its appearance.

I have [etc.]

Paul S. Reinsch

[Inclosure—Extract.]

Memorandum by the Chinese Secretary, continuing the Memorandum of May 30, 1914.

American Legation,
Peking, June 23, 1914.

The following table records the principal Presidential Mandates, legislative and otherwise, from May 26, 1914, to June 22, 1914:

On May 26, 1914, a mandate abolishing the Administrative Council (Cheng Chih Hui I).
The same mandate appoints Vice President Li Yuan-hung President and Wang Ta-hsieh Vice President of the Advisory Chamber (Ts’an Cheng Yuan).
On May 28, 1914, a mandate authorizing the connecting of the Peking-Kalgan and Peking-Mukden Railways by a line around Peking.
On June 2, 1914, a mandate defining the Tao, or Circuits, in the Provinces.
On June 5, 1914, a mandate fixing the scale of punishments for venal offenses among officials.
On June 8, 1914, a mandate relating to the procedure of the Administrative Court (p’ing Cheng Yuan).
On June 11, 1914, a mandate prescribing the duties and powers of the Provincial Bureaus of Finance.
On June 11, 1914, a mandate fixing the powers and duties of the Higher Provincial Courts (Kao Teng Shen p’an T’ing).
On June 13, 1914, a mandate directing the Ministry of the Interior and the Revenue Council to draft laws prohibiting the export of antiquities.
On June 15, 1914, a mandate specially appointing the Governors of the Provinces to supervise the financial affairs of their Provinces.
On June 16, 1914, a mandate promulgating the regulations of the Auditor General’s Office.
On June 18, 1914, a mandate directing the Ministry of the Interior to draft laws relating to local self-government.
[Here follows comment on the foregoing subjects.]