File No. 837.55/26.
The Chinese Minister to the Secretary of State.
Washington, February 19, 1915.
Sir: Referring to your note of the 28th ultimo, informing me of the assistance given by the American Minister at Havana toward obtaining the restoration of the order of the President of the Republic of Cuba, dated November 14, 1913, regarding the admission of Chinese to that country, I have the honor to inform you that the Chinese Chargé d’Affaires at Havana has been instructed to follow the suggestion made by the American Minister to the President of Cuba as stated in the Minister’s telegram to the Department of January 28, 1915, to the effect that final action should be deferred until a later date, which suggestion seemed to meet with the President’s favorable consideration.
It has long been the purpose of the Chinese Government to conclude a treaty with the Government of the Republic of Cuba as a basis of future intercourse between the two countries, and I have been authorized by my Government to open negotiations with this end in view. When I was in Cuba in December last for the purpose of delivering my credentials as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Republic of China to the Republic of Cuba, I fully informed the Cuban Government to that effect. Now while treaty negotiations are pending between the two Governments it would seem inopportune to raise any question at the present time that might cause embarrassment in the negotiations. The American Minister’s suggestion points a way out of the difficulty. I take the liberty of asking, therefore, that instructions be given him to cooperate with the Chinese Chargé d’Affaires at Havana to secure the consent of the Cuban Government to allow the question of admission of Chinese into Cuba to remain in statu quo by rescinding the recent order revoking the order of November 14, 1913, above mentioned, until the conclusion of the proposed treaty between China and Cuba.
Accept [etc.]