File No. 893.512/74
The Secretary of State to Minister Reinsch
Washington, February 14, 1917.
Sir: The Department acknowledges the receipt of your despatch No. 1330 of January 3, 1917, with its enclosures, relating to the liability of Americans for payment of the stamp taxes imposed by the Chinese Government.
Answering your inquiry whether the reference in the note (No. 549) of December 26, 1916, from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, to an instruction having been sent by the Department to you with reference to this matter relates to the Department’s instruction No. 90 of May 4, 1914, I have to state that your surmise in this regard is correct. The Department’s records show that the Chinese Minister at Washington in a note (No. 15), dated May 15, 1914,53 was informed by the Department in the sense described in the quoted portion of the note of December 26, 1916, to you from the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
I am [etc.]