893.74/137
The Secretary of State to the Chinese Minister (Sze)
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of June 9th, and in reply assure you that it is not the intention of this Government to withdraw from the position hitherto taken by it in support of the rights accruing to the Federal Telegraph Company Under the contract of January 8 last; in its view, the communications which it has received from the other interested Governments, in reply to its inquiries as to the reasons for their protests to the Chinese authorities against this contract, tend only to confirm this Government in its belief that the adverse claims which have been urged as excluding the Federal Telegraph Company from participating with the Chinese Government in establishing wireless communications are founded upon assertions of monopolistic or preferential rights, in the field of Chinese Governmental enterprise, which cannot be reconciled either with the treaty rights of American citizens in China, or with the principle of the open door.
Your reference to the principle of the open door affords me the opportunity to assure you of this Government’s continuance in its whole hearted support of that principle, which it has traditionally regarded as fundamental both to the interests of China itself and to the common interests of all powers in China, and indispensable to the free and peaceful development of their commerce on the Pacific Ocean. The Government of the United States has never associated itself with any arrangement which sought to establish any special rights or privileges in China which would abridge the rights of the subjects or citizens of other friendly states: and I am happy to assure you that it is the purpose of this Government neither to participate nor to acquiesce in any arrangement which might purport to establish in favor of foreign interests any superiority of rights with respect to commercial or economic development in designated regions of the territories of China, or which might seek to create any such monopoly or preference as would exclude other nationals from undertaking any legitimate trade or industry or from participating with the Chinese Government in any category of public enterprise.
Accept [etc.]