The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-21
Quits His Position as
Assistant Secretary
of State.
DISLIKES CHANGE
IN FOREIGN POLICY
Tells President He Cannot Ap.
prove His Attitude in Matter of
Chinese Loan, and Considers
Action Very Ill-Advised
and Hasty-Resignation
Quickly Accepted.

Washington, March 20.-Huntington
Wilson. Assistant and Acting Secretary
of State. has resigned that office and
insisted upon immediate acceptance Of
the resignation because of his radical
difference OF opinion with the admin
i*tration regarding it's policies.
President Wilson Immediately ac-
cepted the resignation.
Mr.. Wilson, like all assistant secre-
taries in the various departments, ten
dered his resignation as n matter of
form to President Wilson directly upon
the latters assumption of office. Mr.
Wilson was requested to continue In
his place until IL should be convenient
Tor the President to name his success
sor. He consented to do so to accom-
, modate Secretary Bryan in his desire
TO make his present visit to Lincoln.
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 be relieved at once from
duty.
After telegraphic notice to Secre-
, tary Bryan of his intentions, Mr.. Will
son late yesterday afternoon dispatched
l
his own service. and President Wilson
at once designated Second Assistant
Secretary Adee to act as Secretary of
State during Secretary Bryans pres
Moore VIII BE Appointed.
A probable result of the resiena
ton will be the immediate appoint
'nent under recess conmi ssion, OF
John Bassett Moore as counselor OF
the Department of State, with author
ity to act as secretary.
In thousand-w letter to Presl-
dent Wilson. the former Acting Secre-
tary of State set forth that when he
consented to continue for a time with
derstand there were to be any radical
changes of policy for which he would
he called upon to act as spokesman
The letter continued in part:
''It to-day becomes the duty of the
Acting Secretary of State in dispatch
ing instructions to the representatives
of this government abroad and the
channel of communication with the rep
reSentatives of foreign governments
at Washingt ton. TO be the spokesman of
the President in regard to a new Far
Eastern policy which is apparently de-
ducible from your statement issued to
the press last night. Inasmuch as
find myself out OF harmony with this
radical change of policy. as ] under
stand it. trust that you will sym
L
, appropriate that should longer re-
tain the responsibilities of the Office
which have now relinquished
II had no reason TO suppose that the
officials now on duty at the Depart
nent OF state would learn first from
the newspapers of a declaration OF pol
| icy which I think on it's face shows
the inadequacy of the considera tion
given to the facts and theories in
volved and the failure clearly to ap-
prehend the motives leading to and the
purposes of the policy superseded. |
had no reason to suppose that the fate
of negotiations which had so long had
the studious attention of the foreign
offices OF six great powers would he
abruptly determined with such quite
unnecessary haste and in so unusual
| manner
Relieved OF Obligations.
These methods. against which I re-
! spectfully protest. are the very extra
ordinary circumstances which l feel
/ vitiate my understanding with Mr.
| Bryan and completely relieve me of
any further obligation in the prem
| Uses.
The repeated utterances of the last
administration must have made IL per
/ fectly clear that the motive and pur-
/ pose of the policy now abandoned were
I first and primarily the protection OF
/ Chna's integrity and sovereignty. the
uplift of the Chinese people morally,
materially and governmcntally, the
| development Of China's resources and
/ the maintenance of our traditional pol
! icy OF tho open door or equality OF
/ opportunity for American enterprise
! Precisely because of the ultimate
possibility of measure of foreign
I control of China's finances, which may
Ibe inferred from study of other
countries which have found them
selves in similar situation. it was
deemed imperative that there should
/ be american participation in the re-
! habilitation of China's finances. in or
der 10 make sure OF the presence of
the potent, friendly and disinterested
| influence of the United States. The
! only practicable method OF such par
ticipation was by the use OF reliable
American bankers
in the consideration of the Far
| Eastern policy. | have felt that so
much should be promised. and that
the problem of the government using
American bankers. while still scrupul-
ously avoiding any material monopol-
istic feature. might now, as before, be
| found one of the most difficult preoc-
equations have always thought
that i'm the work of advancing the ma
tionai interests and promoting the vel,
fare of other nations the financial
force OF the United States could be
marshaled In some manner to present
| a safely united front abroad, where 1t
would be like the apex of a triangle,
hut would have at home at It's base
broad equality OF opportunity both for
citizens desiring to invest and for
bankers desiring to engage in these
difficult. and relatively risky ventures
1t seems. however, that the conclu-
sions reached are expressed upon other
grounds"
President Wilson replied:
MY Dear Sir:
ALLOW me to acknowledge the re-
oeipt of your letter OF yesterday, and