File No. 893.811/226
Minister Reinsch to the Secretary of State
Peking, June 19, 1916.
Your June 15. Your detailed instructions not yet received, but I am constrained to state that it will be hardly feasible or advisable to turn into provincial matter Kiangsu Canal project which has from the first been treated as national, while Shantung project was initiated and pressed by the provincial authorities. To attempt to make Kiangsu project provincial would be taken as an affront to the Government. It would raise endless difficulties of negotiation and would promise no substantial benefit either in security or facilitating work. The Government will secure cooperation of Kiangsu authorities to the latter end.