The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04

American people to extend a measure of
 relief to the sufferers on either side
 through the impartial medium of the Red
 Cross. Beyond this the chief care of the
 government of the United States has been
 to make due provision for the protection
 of It's nationals resident in belligerent territory. In the exercise of my duty In this matter l have dispatched to Turkish
 waters a special service squadron, consist
 ing of two armored cruisers, in order that
 this government may if need be bear it's
 part in such measures as 1t may be neces-
 sary for the interested nations to adopt
 for the safeguarding of foreign lives and
 property in the Ottoman empire in the
 event that a dangerous situation should develop. In the meanwhile the several
 interested European powers haveS prom
 ised to extend to American citizens the benefit of such precautionary or protec- tive measures as they might adopt, in the same manner in which 1t has been the practice of this government to extend it's protection to all foreigners resident in those countries of the western hemis- phere in which 1t has from time to time
 been the task of the United States to act
 in the interest of peace and good order.
 The early appearance of large fleet of European warships in the Bosphorus ap-
 parently assured the protection of for eigners in that quarter, where the pres | ence of the American stationnaire, the
 Cnited States steamship Scorpion, suf- | feed, under the circumstances, to repre-
 sent the United States. Our cruisers
 were thus left free to act if need be along 1 the Mediterranean coasts should any un- 1 expected contingency arise affecting the numerous American interests in the neigh
 borhood of Smyrna and Beirut.
 Spitzbergen
 The great preponderance of American
 material interests in the subarctic island
 of Spitzbergen, which has always been
 regarded politically as mo mans land,h {, inipels this government to continued and lively interest in the international dis position to be made forfthe political gov ernance and administration of that region. The conflict of certain claims of -smef- l can citizens and others is in fair way of adjustment, while the settlement of
 matters of administration whether by in- | ternatonaI conference of the interested powers or otherwise, continues to be the subject of exchange ofNiews between the governments concerned
 Liberia
 | As result of the efforts of this gov ernment to place the government of Li- | beria in position to pay it's outstanding | indebtedness and to maintain a stable | and efficient government, negotiations I for a loan of si,700,000 have been suo- 1 cessfully concluded and it is antiei- pated that the payment of the old loan and the issuance of the bonds of tho | 1el2 loan for the reha bilitation of the | finances of Liberia will follow at an early date, when the new receiver | ship will go into active operation. The new receivership will consist of general receiver of customs designated by the government of the United States and three receivers of customs designated by | the governments of Germany, France and Great Britain, which countries have commercial interests in the Republic | of Liberia
 | Tn carrying out the understanding be- tween the government of Liberia and 1 that of the United States. and in ful- | filling the terms of the agreement be- tween the former government and the American bankers, three competent ex- army officers are now effectively em- | poyed by the Liberian government in l reorganizing the police force of the l republic not only to keep in order the native tribes in the hinterland but to serve as necessary police force along l the frontier. 1t is hoped that these meas ures will assure not only the continued | existence but the prosperity and well | fare of the Republic. of Liberia. Liberia | possesses fertility of soil and natural | | people reasonable prosperity. It was
 the duty of the. United States to assist | the Republic of Liberia in accordance l with our historical interest and moral Iguardianship of a community founded by l American citizens, as 1t was also the | duty of the American government t9 attempt to assure permanence to coun- | try of much sentimental and perhaps fu- 1 ture real interest to a large body of our citizens.
 The legation g Tangier is now in charge | of our consul general, who is acting as I charge d'affaires. as well as caring for | our commercial interests in that coun- 1 try. In view of the fact that many | of the foreign powers are now represented | by charge d'affaires is has not been deemed necessary to appoint at the rres- ent time minister to All a vacancy oc- curing in that post.
 The Far East
 | The political disturbances in China in | the autumn and winter of 1911-12 resulted l in the abdication of the Manchu rulers on | February 12 followed by the formation of | a provisional republican government ems powered to conduct the affairs of the na- tion until permanent government might be regularly established. The natural sympathy of the American people with the assumption of republican principles by the Chinese people was appropriately expressed in a concurrent resolution of Congress on April r, 1912. A conStituent assembly. composed of representatives duly chosen by the people of China in the elections that are now being held, has been called to meet in January next to adopt permanent constitution and or- ganize the government of the nascent re- public. During the formative constitu- tional stage and pending definitive action by the assembly. as expressive of the
 popular will, and the hoped-for establish-
 ment of stable republican form of gov
 ernment capable of fulfilling it's inter- national oblisatIons. the United States is.
 according to precedent. maintaining full
 and friendly de facto relations with the
 provisional government.
 The new condition of affairs thus ere