693.002/250
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hornbeck)
| Conversation: | Dr. H. H. Kung, Chinese Minister of Finance; |
| Dr. C. T. Wang, Chinese Ambassador; | |
| Mr. Hornbeck; | |
| Mr. Hamilton.78 | |
| Present: | P. W. Kuo and Dr. Clarence K. Young.79 |
During the course of and following a luncheon given by the Chinese Ambassador at his residence at Twin Oaks, the Chinese Minister of Finance, Dr. H. H. Kung, brought up a number of questions (see separate memoranda), after which Mr. Hornbeck said that there were several particular matters which Mr. Hornbeck desired to bring to the attention of Dr. Kung.
Mr. Hornbeck said that from various sources there came to his notice observations offered by some individuals that there were only a few Americans in the Chinese Customs Administration and that these Americans did not seem to progress as fast in that Service as did some of their colleagues of other nationalities. Mr. Hornbeck said that, for example, the comment had been made to him that for some years there had been no American on duty at Customs headquarters at Shanghai. He said that he was making no complaint and that he wished only to suggest that sometime when Dr. Kung had an opportunity he be so good as to look into the question of how the Americans in the Chinese Customs Service were faring.
(Note: For other matters see memorandum on “Claim of the American Metal Company against the Kwangtung Provincial Government” and memorandum on “Russian issue of the Chinese Government Five Per Cent Reorganization Gold Loan of 1913”.80)