493.11/1874: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Johnson)
163. Your 231, June 6, 9 a.m. Department is willing to defer to Legation’s judgment and therefore authorizes inclusion of looting claims. Department, however, continues of the opinion that Legation should follow suggestions (b), (c) and (d) as indicated in Department’s telegram 157 of June 1, 7 p.m.
Department was under the impression that both in number and aggregate amount claims on file in Legation greatly exceed figures indicated in second paragraph of your telegram under reference. Are you including claims covering contractual obligations such as for example those of the Continental Illinois Bank, Pacific Development Corporation, and American International Corporation, which alone aggregate, not including interest, in excess of $12,000,000?8
- In despatch No. 2815, June 30, the Minister in China reported: “The total value of the claims of which the Legation has record is approximately U.S. $18,041,542.34.” (493.11/1890)↩