File No. 893.01/92
Minister Reinsch to the Secretary of State
Peking , February 24, 1916 .
Sir: After I had completed dictating the despatch (No. 955) of today’s date, concerning my audience with the President, Mr. C. C. Wu, a member of the Foreign Office, called on me and informed me that the President had announced the measures reported in the editorial from today’s Peking Daily News, enclosed with my No. 955, viz:
1. In the future the Cabinet will have a weekly meeting under the presidency of the Secretary of State for the discussion of important matters of public policy; at these meetings the emperor-elect is not to be present.
There will be regular conferences between groups of Ministers of State and the chief advisers in the respective branches for the discussion and elaboration of measures of government.
The first measure constitutes a step in the devolution of authority from the Head of the State to the responsible Ministers; the second [Page 64] is the first effort to systematize the cooperation of foreign advisers in the work of government.
It was also stated by Mr. Wu that the measures for the early convocation of parliament are now under consideration.
I asked Mr. Wu for the reason why at this time the emperor-elect had issued a mandate (translation of which is enclosed with my No. 955) announcing the postponement of the formal accession to the throne. Mr. Wu stated that this was done in order to put an end to constant petitioning and to make it plain that for the time being formal coronation was not thought of. He stated that this, of course, referred only to accession to the throne; that essentially the Government, as far as internal relations are concerned, is already a monarchy, although it has not assumed this character in its international relations.
I have [etc.]