File No. 763.72/3549

The Secretary of State to the Minister in China ( Reinsch)

[Telegram]

Your cipher telegram of March 18, 11 a.m. The Department is disposed to believe that the continued presence of the American [Page 423] Legation Guard in Peking and American railway guards at Tientsin and elsewhere would be advantageous to China, but will give the matter further consideration if the other powers concerned agree to withdraw such guards. The American Government was not a party to the agreement excluding Chinese troops from Tientsin.

Since the Chinese tariff is fixed by treaty, the Department will use its best endeavors to obtain such revision of the treaty as will permit an imposition of a surtax of 50 per cent of present import duty and later a duty of effective 7.5 per cent ad valorem, provided Entente powers also agree to such increase and on further condition stated at end of this telegram.

Concerning postponement of indemnity payments see Department’s telegram of August 20, 1914, 4 p.m.1 Provided Entente powers consent to postponement for time named of indemnity payments, the Department will attempt to arrange similar postponement of indemnity payments due United States upon the following conditions:

1.
That China will agree during period of suspension from the funds thus made available to set aside monthly for the support of the Tsing Hua College and the Chinese students and Educational Mission in the United States a sum equal to that now remitted monthly to China by the United States.
2.
That China will agree that Chinese military forces and equipment, arsenals, and munition factories are not to be placed under control of any foreign power.

Lansing