File No. 493.11/561.
Minister Reinsch to
the Secretary of State.59
[Extract]
No. 562.]
American Legation,
Peking,
March 4, 1915.
Sir: Referring to the status of the question
as to the return to the Chinese Government of the surplus remaining out
of the fund of two million pounds allocated for the payment of
indemnities for damages suffered by foreigners and foreign interests in
consequence of the Revolution of 1911, I have the honor to enclose
herewith copies of diplomatic circulars under date of December 29 (No.
194) and February 23 (No. 15) last.
It will be noted that, as stated in the Dean’s circular of the 23d
ultimo, all the Legations have now assented to the proposal of the
Chinese Government that it should now draw from the Group Banks the
balance of £1,306,000 odd, standing to its credit after the payment of
claims to the amount of £627,780, and leaving a balance of £66,000 for
the adjustment of indemnity claims not yet settled.
I have [etc.]
[Inclosure.]
Diplomatic Circular No. 15.
Peking,
February 23, 1915.
surplus claims funds.
With reference to Circular No. 194 of December 29th last, regarding
the disposal of the surplus revolutionary claims fund, the Dean has
the honour to inform his honourable colleagues that all the heads of
missions have now assented
[Page 207]
to the proposal contained in the Wai Chiao Pu’s note of December
28th last, and he accordingly submits herewith for their approval
the draft of ‘a reply communicating this assent to the Chinese
Government.
Circular No. 194 is annexed hereto for convenience of reference,
together with the letter from his excellency the Minister for Japan
notifying his decision on the subject in question.
[Subinclosure 1.]
The Dean of the Diplomatic
Corps to the Wai Chiao
Pu.
draft.
Sir: I have the honour to acknowledge the
receipt of the Wai Chiao Pu’s note of December 28th last on the
subject of the foreign losses sustained during the Revolution of
1911 and to inform your excellency that the Diplomatic Body concur
in the proposal of the Chinese Government to withdraw the balance
remaining of the sum of £2,000,000 reserved for the payment of these
losses under the Reorganization Loan Agreement and at present kept
at the Group Banks.
I avail [etc.]
[Subinclosure 2.]
Diplomatic Circular No. 194.
Peking,
December 29, 1914.
surplus claims funds.
The Dean has the honour to circulate herewith copy of a note which he
has received from the Wai Chiao Pu respecting the disposal of the
surplus of the funds set aside for payment of foreign claims arising
out of the Revolution of 1911.
The matter is one which primarily concerns the five Legations
interested in the Reorganization Loan; but inasmuch as the note is
addressed to Sir John Jordan as Dean, and as the payment of the
Revolution claims is a question that concerns the whole Diplomatic
Body, the Dean thinks it well to submit the note for the
consideration of all his honourable colleagues.
Sir John Jordan himself has no objection to the procedure proposed by
the Wai Chiao Pu.
[Subinclosure 3—Translation.]
The Wai Chiao Pu
to the Dean of the Diplomatic
Corps.
Peking,
December 28, 1914.
Sir: With reference to the question of
foreign losses sustained during the Revolution of 1911, this
Ministry in the month of November last notified the foreign
Ministers in Peking to the effect that the claims then already
settled by the Claims Investigation Committee and which had been
paid amounted to a little over £500,000, and as there were then a
few outstanding cases of claims of France, Denmark and Belgium, this
Ministry proposed to reserve £400,000 to be kept to meet the
probable requirements, and that this Government intended to draw the
balance of fund at the Groups Banks of about £1,000,000.
We now find that the outstanding cases have either been settled or
withdrawn and that the cases not yet paid require about £66,000.
This sum, when added to £627,780 already paid up to the present,
brings the total to £693,780 odd. Deducting this last figure from
the total reserve fund of £2,000,000 kept at the Group Banks, the
balance available at our order is about £1,306,000 odd. We hereby
inform your excellency that the Government intends to draw from the
Group Banks the whole amount of the above-mentioned balance of about
£1,306,000 odd. The Ministry of Finance will make arrangements
directly with the Group Banks for the drawing of this sum, in
accordance with Annex E of
[Page 208]
the Reorganization Loan Agreement concerning administrative
expenditures. We request that your excellency would kindly convey
this message to the other foreign Ministers concerned, and we would
feel obliged if your excellency would give us an early reply on this
subject.
[Subinclosure 4.]
The Japanese Minister
to the Dean of the Diplomatic
Corps.
Japanese Legation,
Peking,
February 20, 1915.
Sir: With reference to your Circular No.
194, dated the 29th December last, re the disposal of the surplus
claims funds, I have now the honour to inform you under instructions
that I have no objection to the procedure proposed by the Wai Chiao
Pu.
I avail [etc.]
