The Secretary of State to Minister Conger.

[Telegram—Paraphrase.]

(Mr. Hay advises Mr. Conger that the Department has been informed by the Chinese minister at Washington that his government intends to cancel its agreement with the American China Development Company. The Government of the United States can not admit that the Chinese Government can take such action against an American company, and insists on the sole right to deal with the Chinese Government in diplomatic questions affecting the interests of this company. Instructs him to strongly urge the Chinese Government to postpone action until all the interested parties have been heard from. The Department is reliably informed that a sufficient number of shares of the company’s stock to secure absolute control of the property has been purchased from foreigners by the American shareholders.)