File No. 835.6131/42 The Ambassador in Argentina (Stimson) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] BUENOS AIRES, January 2, 1918, 4 p. m. Department's December 29, 7 p. m., and my December 29, 4 p. m.1 I have just called upon the Minister for Foreign Affairs at his request. He informs me that his Government is prepared to recommend acceptance of the wheat convention by Great Britain and France alone, with the clause providing for a supply of coal by the United States eliminated, on condition that I will embody our conversation, in the course of which I informed him of the contents of the Department's December 29, 7 p. m., in a formal note addressed to him. After considerable discussion I agreed to submit the following form to the Department for its consideration. It embodies the Department's instructions precisely except only that it omits express mention of the Allies. The Minister for Foreign Affairs explained that he was most anxious to obtain a form which would meet with the approval of Congress, the session being resumed on January 3. The British Minister is very insistent that the negotiations should now be carried to a conclusion, and he informs me that he and the Minister for Foreign Affairs have now agreed upon everything save a minor detail in the question of exchange. The following is the form of the note which, after the conversation referred to, it was proposed I should send to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, concerning which I beg to request the Department's instructions. Referring to the agreement made between the Argentine Government and the Governments of Great Britain and France concerning the sale of 2,500,000 tons of the Argentine wheat crop, I take pleasure in assuring your excellencies that the United States Government will assist in the same by permitting so far as is possible, that is to say, immediately after supplying the necessities of the United States and the war, the exportation, in the ships coming from the United States for said wheat, of combustible for the actual requirements of the Argentine people. File No. 835.6131/42 STIMSON The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Argentina (Stimson) Your January 2, 4 p. m. Foreign Affairs note in the gram above mentioned. 'Latter not printed. [Telegram] WASHINGTON, January 3, 1918, 7 p. m. You are authorized to send to Minister form and language quoted in your tele It is understood by Department, from your telegram of December 29, 4 p. m.,1 that the word combustible refers to coal and not to oil. LANSING File No. 862.85/261 The Chargé in Uruguay (Wadsworth) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] MONTEVIDEO, January 3, 1918, 4 p. m. [Received January 4, 6.36 a. m.] Referring to the Department's telegram of December 31, 5 p. m.1 No proposition has been made by this Legation to Uruguay re German vessels since December 12, when, in accordance with Department's telegram December 11, 7 p. m.,2 Legation submitted proposals quoted in Department's telegram December 1, 6 p. m.3 Uruguay's reply quoted in my December 15, 5 p. m. Am now informed by Uruguayan Government that bids for chartering German vessels must be made by February 2 and may be presented to Uruguayan Minister at Washington. Law governing chartering German vessels contained in report of the American Consul to the Department dated November 27.1 WADSWORTH File No. 835.6131/50 The Ambassador in Argentina (Stimson) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] BUENOS AIRES, January 14, 1918, 5 p. m. [Received January 15, 1.26 a. m.] My January 4, 6 p. m.1 The wheat convention was signed this morning at 11 o'clock by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the French and British Ministers. The convention is as quoted in my telegram December 28, 5 p. m., with the following alterations and additions: The first paragraph of Article 4 now reads as follows: The Argentine Government shall be permitted to draw on the Governments of France and Great Britain for direct operations of exchange up to the total of the sums of which they had disposed under the above credits when the rate of exchange in favor of the Argentine Government does not exceed 50 pennies upon England and 5 fr. 60 upon Paris. There is added to Article 4 the following new clause: "The Argentine Government shall not utilize the credits in pounds sterling and francs opened in Paris and London to make direct or indirect remittances to the United States of America." Article 6 as quoted in my December 28, 5 p. m., is totally omitted and Article 7 as 66 quoted therein is now numbered Article 6. Article 7 in the convention as signed is an addition and reads as follows: When the legislative authorization aforementioned is obtained, the credits accorded in Buenos Aires by the Argentine Government can be immediately utilized by the Governments of France and Great Britain." The signatures of the plenipotentiaries follow thereafter. A copy of the agreement as signed has been sent me by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and in accordance with the Department's instructions of January 3, 7 p. m., I have sent to him verbatim the note quoted in my January 2, 4 p. m. It is expected that the convention will be laid before Congress immediately for its approval.1 File No. 862.85/291 STIMSON The Minister in Cuba (Gonzales) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] HABANA, January 15, 1918, 1 p. m. Received 2.36 p. m.] Your December 14, 5 p. m.,2 and January 12, 5 p. m.3 President endeavoring to find legal way to conform with board's wishes. Believes will succeed in doing so this week. GONZALES RELATIONS OF ASIATIC COUNTRIES WITH THE UNITED STATES AND WITH EUROPEAN BELLIGERENT COUNTRIES AS AFFECTED BY THE GERMAN SUBMARINE WARFARE China's Approval of the President's Suggestions of December 18, 1916, to Belligerent Governments-Requests for Assurances by China in the Event of Severance of Relations with Germany; Attitude of the United States File No. 763.72119/328 The Minister in China (Reinsch) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] PEKING, January 9, 1917, 10 p. m. [Received January 9, 7.30 p. m.] Your circular of December 20. Minister for Foreign Affairs has written as follows in answer to my note transmitting the President's note to the belligerent powers: I have examined, with the care which the gravity of the questions raised demands, the note concerning peace which President Wilson 1 Approval by the two Houses was reported in telegrams of Jan. 19 and 22 (File Nos. 835.6131/54 and 56). 'Ante, p. 386. Not printed. 'Ante, p. 219. has addressed to the governments of the Allies and the Central powers now at war and the text of which your excellency has been good enough to transmit to me under instructions of your Government. China, a nation traditionally pacific, has recently again manifested her sentiments in concluding treaties concerning the pacific settlement of international disputes, responding thus to the [wishes] of the peace conferences held at The Hague. On the other hand the present war by its prolongation has seriously affected the interests of China, more so perhaps than those of other powers which have remained neutral. She is at present at a time of reorganization which demands economically and industrially the cooperation of foreign countries, cooperation which a large number of them are unable to accord on account of the war in which they are engaged. In manifesting her sympathy for the spirit of the President's note, having in view the ending as soon as possible of the hostilities, China is but acting in conformity with not only her interest but also with her profound sentiments. On account of the extent which modern wars are apt to assume and the repercussion which they bring about, their effects are no longer limited to belligerent states. All countries are interested in seeing wars become as rare as possible. Consequently China can not but show satisfaction with the views of the Government and people of the United States of America who declare themselves ready and even eager to cooperate when the war is over by all proper means to assure the respect of the principle of the equality of nations whatever their power may be and to relieve them of the peril of wrong and violence. China is ready to join her efforts with theirs for the attainment of such results which can only be obtained through the help of all. REINSCH File No. 763.72/3230 The Minister in China (Reinsch) to the Secretary of State [Telegram-Extract] PEKING, February 6, 1917, 1 p. m. I have discussed Department's circular of February 3, 1 p. m.,1 with the President, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Premier, and Minister of Finance. Cabinet meeting took place to-day but no decision yet arrived at. I have been questioned on the following points relating to eventuality of China's being drawn into the war in consequence of taking the action suggested: first, could assurances be given that Chinese arsenals and military forces would not come under foreign control; secondly, could assurances be given that China would be admitted to 'Ante, p. 108. 114203-31-26 full membership in the peace conference; thirdly, what would be relations of the powers now entering the war to the London agreement not to make separate peace? I confined myself to conjectures but should be assisted by having your instructions on these points. Our influence with the Chinese has been markedly impaired by the publication of the proposed cooperation with Japan in the canal projects, more particularly because the Japanese reports have given rise to the belief that the Americans took the initiative in seeking Japanese assistance.1 Please keep me informed of the action of other neutral powers which would also influence China. REINSCH File No. 763.72/3245 The Minister in China (Reinsch) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] PEKING, February 6, 1917, 11 p. m. The Cabinet met again to-day, and the Minister of Finance informs me that the sentiment in favor of joining the United States is gaining strength phenomenally. He intimates that the chief obstacle to such action is the fear concerning arsenals. If I can be authorized to give to the Chinese Government the assurance that $10,000,000 will be loaned from American sources to improve arsenals and that the United States Government will agree to funding of its portion of Boxer indemnity in long-term bonds and to urge the same course upon the Allied powers, I feel assured that the Chinese Government will forthwith associate itself with the American action. The former is the more important. Should the arrangement for funding the indemnity require action by Congress, it is possible that the Chinese Government might be persuaded to act upon the assurance that the administration would at some opportune time recommend appropriate legislation to that effect. The Chinese officials recognize the justice of the cause espoused by the United States as well as the desirability of China's associating itself with the measures taken, but they will not act unless they can have effective assurances that their national independence will be safeguarded by the United States as by the means suggested above, which would be a very moderate amount of support. REINSCH 1See Foreign Relations, 1917, pp. 207 et seq. |