Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-03-20
ASST SECRETARY /
OF STATE RESIGNS;
REBUKES WILSON
Says President Did
Not Grasp Chinese
Situation.
SHOWS FAILURE TO
APPREHEND MOTIVES
Mr.. Wilson Was Relict of Taft
Observation-Disclosures
ton Accepted.

WASHINGTON. March 2O-Hunt-
ington Wilson, assistant and acting
secretary of state, has resigned that
office and insisted upon immediate ac-
ceptance of the resignation because
of his radical difference of opinion
with the administration regarding its
Chinese policies.
President Wilson Immediately ac-
eepted the resignation.
Mr.. Wilson, like all assistant seere-
taries of the various departments,
rendered his resignation as a matter
of form to President Wilson directly
upon the latter's assumption of office.
Mr.. Wilson was requested to continue
in his place until 1t should be conven-
tent for the President to name his
successor. and consented to do SO to
accommodate Secretary Bryan in his
desire to make his present visit to
Lincoln, Neb.
The issue of the statement from the
White House defining the administra-
tion's attitude regarding the Chinese
loan negotiations is believed to have
been regarded by Assistant Secretary
Wilson as sufficient to justify him
in requesting to to be relieved at
once from duty.
After telegraphic notice to Secre-
tary Bryan of his intentions Mr..
Wilson late yesterday afternoon dis
patched note to the White House
terminating his own service and
President Wilson Immediately desig-
mated Second Assistant Secretary
Adee to act as secretary of state
during Secretary Bryan's absence
probable result of the resigna-
ton will be the immediate appoints
ment, under a recess commission, of
John Bassett Moore as counselor OF
| the department of state, with authori-
| ty to act as secretary.
In thousand word letter to Presi-
dent Wilson the former acting Sec
retary of state set forth that when
he consented to continue for a time
with the new administration he did
not understand there were to be any
radical changes of policy for which
he would be called upon to act as
spokesman. The letter continued in
part:
Mr.. Wilson's Letter.
at today becomes the duty of the
acting secretary of state, in dispatch-
Ing instructions to the representatives
of this government abroad, and as
the channel of communication with
the representatives of foreign gov-
ernments at Washington, to be the
spokesman of the President in regard
to a new far Eastern policy, which Is
apparently deducible from your state
ment issued to the press last night
Inasmuch as l find myself entirely
out of harmony with this radical
change of policy, as / understand it,
I trust that you will sympathize with
the view that it was not appropriate
that | should longer retain the re-
sponsibilities of the office which
have now relinquished.
II had no reason 10 suppose that
the officials on duty in the department.
of state would learn first from tho
newspapers of declaration of policy
which | think shows on it's face the
inadequacy of the consideration given
the facts and theories involved and
| the failure clearly to apprehend the
motives leading to and the purposes
of the policy superseded. had no
reason to- suppose that the fate of
negotiate which had so long had
! the studious attention of the foreign
Offices of six great powers would be
abruptly determined with such quite
unnecessary haste and in so unusual
a manner. These methods against
which | respectfully protest are the
very extraordinary circumstances
which | feel vitiate my understand
| ing with Mr. Bryan and completely
relieve me of any further obligation
in the premises.
Tells What Old Policy Was.
"The repeated utterances of the last
administration must have made it
perfectlv clear that the motive and
purpose of the policy now abandoned
were first and primarily the protee-
tion of China's integrity and sover-
eighty. the uplift of the Chinese peo-
ple. morally materially and govern
mentally; the development of Chlnas
resources and the maintenance of our
traditional policy of the open door,
or equality of opportunity for Amer
ican enterprise
Precisely because of the ultimate
possibility of a measure of foreign
tcontrol Of China's finances, which
may he inferred from a study of
other countries which have found
themselves in similar situation, It
was deemed imperative that there
should be American participation in
the rehabilitation of China's finances
In order to make sure of the presence
of the potent friendly and disinter-
ected influence of the United States
The only practicable method OF sueh
participation was by the use OF re-
liable American bankers.
''In consideration of the far Eastern
policy. l have felt that so much
should be promised and that the
problem of the governments using
American bankers, while still scrupu-
lously avoiding any material monop-
olistic feature, might now, as before,
be found one of the most difficult pre-
occupations.
II have always thought that, in the
work of advancing the national inter-
ests, and promoting the welfare of
other nations, the financial force Ok