893.42/233: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Perkins) to the Secretary of State
654. Department’s 279 August 21, 6 p.m.
1. Circumstances fully explained in Legation’s despatch number 399 [1599], August 6th,23 paragraph number 2, The Minister on August 1st sent the following informal note to Y. L. Tong.
[Page 546][Here follows text of note of August 1, printed on page 542.]
2. In the Legation’s despatch number 1599 the Minister states, inter alia: “As the reorganization described in my memorandum constitutes a distinctly retrograde step and will inevitably bring the college into Chinese politics, and further since, should the Legation be represented on the proposed Board of Directors, it could not avoid being placed in the embarrassing position of having to assume responsibility without being able to exercise any real influence, I felt constrained to write Mr. Tong as I did, declining the appointment upon the new Board.”
4. [3.] This action does not affect the Board of Trustees for the Tsing Hua endowment fund, upon which the Minister remains a member as before.