The Forrest City times., 1900-11-02
SECRETARY HAYS REPLY.
Response of the United States to the Note on the British-Ger-
 man Agreement.
rls BEEN SENT TO EACH NATION.
Accord With England nnd Ger many on the Two First Clauses, Docs Not Feel Called Upon to Ex- press an Opinion on the Third.

Washington. Nov. 1.-The state de- partment makes public the British German agreement respecting the maintenance of the "open door" and territorial integrity of China, with the answer of the United States gov ernment. sent in duplicate to each of the principals to the agreement:
 Mir. Hay to Lord Pnuncefote.
 Department of State. Washington, Oct. 2e, 0o.-Excellency-I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 23d Of October. in- closing the text of an agreemnt be- tween Great Britain and Germany re- lating to affairs in China. which was signed in London. on the 10th in- stant.by the marquis of Salisbury and the German ambassador on behalf of their respective governments, and in- viting the acceptance by the United States of the principles recorded in that agreement.
 These principles are:
 "I--It is a matter of joint and permanent international interest that the ports on the rivers and littoral of China should remain free and open to trade and to every other legitimate form of economic activity for the nationals of all countries without distinction, ana the two gov ernments agree, ,on their part. to up- hold the same for all Chinese terri tory so far as they can exercise infiu- ence.
 "II-Her Brittanic majesty's gov ernment and the imperial German gov ernment will not, on their part, make use of the esent complication to ob- tain for themselves any territory advantages in Chinese dominion. and will direct their policy toward main taining nndiminished the territorial condition of the Chinese empire"
 The United States have heretofore made known their adoption of both these principles. During the last year this government invited the powers interested in China to join in an expression of views and purposes in the direction of impartial trade with that country, and received satis- factory assurances to that effect from all of them. When the recent trou- bles were at their height, this govern ment, on the 3d of July, once more made an announcement of its policy regarding impartial trade and the in tegrity of the Chinese empire. and had the qualification of learning that all the powers held similar views. And since that time the most gratifv- ing harmony has existed amoifg all tho nations concerned as to the ends 10 be pursued. and there has been it. tie divergence of opinion as to the details of the course to be followed.
 It is, therefore. with much satis- faction that the president directs me to inform you of the full sympathy of this government with those of her Brittanic majesty and the German emperor in the principles set forth in the clauses of the agreement above cited.
 The third clause of the agreement provides:
 "lll-ln case of another power making use of the complications in China in order to obtain under any form whatever such territorial ad- vantages, the two contracting par ties reserve to themselves the right to come to preliminary understanding as to the eventual steps to be taken for the protection of their own in- terests in China
 As this clause refers to a reciprocal arrangement between the two high contracting powers, the government of the United States does not regard itself as called upon to express an opinion in respect to it.
 l have, etc.
 ISigned1 JOHN HAY.
 GA similar note mutatis mutandis, was addressed on the same day by the secretary of state to the imperial German charge d'affaires.)