493.11/1874: Telegram
The Minister in China ( Johnson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 12:50 p.m.]
231. Department’s No. 157, June 1, 7 p.m. In proposing to submit to the Chinese Government a list of all claims of which we have received [notice] from claimants the Legation hoped by including claims of uncertain validity as well as those of unquestionable validity to persuade Chinese Government of the desirability of adjudicating claims by means of an impartial claims commission.
Of a total of 636 claims so far found in our records aggregating approximately $6,000,000 [$16,000,000] United States currency, 413 represent looting claims of approximately $650,000 United States currency. Of the 413 looting claims, 118 represent looting by soldiers amounting to approximately [$]150,000 United States currency.
Legation believes that by submitting the list as representing claims of which it has receive[d] notice from claimants, American Government does not in any way commit itself as necessarily supporting all of them but rather as informing Chinese Government that they have been presented to lis.
Legation urges that Department approve inclusion of all looting claims as a measure calculated to convince the Chinese of the desirability of the establishment of a claims commission.