File No. 893.51/1799
The Secretary of State to Minister Reinsch
Washington, August 22, 1917, 4 p.m.
The British Chargé d’Affaires yesterday left at the Department a memorandum stating [here follows a résumé of the note from the British Chargé d’Affaires of August 21, 1917].
In conversation the Chargé stated that the loans were requested of the group bankers and the request was communicated to the British Government through the Japanese. Please inform the Department what action, if any, has been taken in regard to the matters mentioned in the memorandum.
Should the Chinese Government consult you, you may point out the inadvisability of incurring heavy financial obligations at present, which moreover would seem to be unnecessary in view of the proposed relief to be afforded by suspension of indemnity payments and increase of customs duties.