The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-03-20
HUNTINGTON WILSON RESIGNS
Acting Secretary of State Quits
Because of Radical Change
In Chinese Policy
HIS RESIGNATION IS ACCEPTED

Washington, March 2O.---At tho
white house today it was said the re-
ported declaration of Charles w. Eliot,
president emeritus of Harvard he
would decline diplomatic appoint
ment, II offered, might not deter vii
son from urging Eliot to reconsider
and take under advisemrnt an offer nr
foreign post.
The appointment to London il is
thought viii he the most likely offer. If
one is made II has been reported that
Eliot declined IA similar offer from
Taft
1t was stated later that the reports
he would decline diplomatic appoint
mert did not come from Eliot. In view
of this, it is said he now is foremost
under consideration for the court of
81. James.
John X. Mott, of MOntclair n. j., II
was said today has declined an offer
10 he minister 10 China Mott Is "A y.
NJ c. A. official and has been identified
with the missionary movement, espe
ciaily in the far east II s said Mott
has been asked 10 reconsider his
declination. II also IL intimated at the
white house that with tie selection of
minister to- China. formal recognition
Of the republic might be announced by
the United States. The subject is no,y
under consideration by the president.
Assistant Secretary Quits.
Huntington Wilson, assistant and
acting secretary of the state, resigned
today and insisted upon the immedi
ate acceptance of his resignation be-
cause of radical difference of opin-
ion with the administration regarding
the Chinese policy The president inn
mediately accepted his resignation.
Wilson, like all assistant secretaries,
rendered his resignation as Il matter
of form To the president directly on
the latter's assumption of Office. He
was requested to continue in his place
until il was convenient for the presi-
dent To name "a successor and prom
ised to do so To accommodate Secre-
tary Bryan i'm his desire To visit Lin
coin, Neb.
Sets Forth His Reasons.
In a thousand word letter To the
president, former acting Secretary
Wilson sets forth that when he con-
sented To continue for time with the
new administration he did not under
stand there were To he any radical
changes of policy. for which he would
he called upon to act as spokesman.
In part, he SAYS:
II had no reason Ia suppose that Of
ncials on duty in the department or
state would learn first from the news
papers of declaration of policy
which, | think. shows on its face in
adequacy of consideration given to the
facts and theories involved and failure
clearly to apprehend the motives lead-
ing to and the purposes of the policy
superseded. | had no reason to sup
pose that the fate of negotiations,
which so long have had the studious
attention of tho foreign offices of six
great powers, would he abruptly de-
termined with such quiet and unneces-
sary haste and i'm So unusual man
ner These methods against whlch
I respectfully protest are the very eN
traordinary circumstances which
feel vitiatd my understanding with MI
Bryan and completely relieve me q,
any further obligation In the premises
''The repeated utteranees ot the laS'
administration must have made per-
fectlv clear that the motive and pur-
pose of the policy now abandoned were
first and primarily the protection oi
Chma's integrity and sovereignty 10
uplift the Chinese people morally, ma
terially and governmentally, the d'-
velopment of China's resources mann
tenance Of our traditional policy ot the
open door and of the equality oi OPP
portunity for American enterprise.
Precisely because of the ultimate
possibility of a measure of foreign
control of Chlnas finances. which may
he inferred from study of other
countries, which found themselves IN
a similar situation. II was deemed inn
perative there should be American
participation I'm the rehabilitation Oh
Chlna's finances. and i'm order To make
sure If the presence of the potent
friendly and disinterested influence or
the United states the only practicabie
method of such participation was by