I have
the honour to request that Your Excellency will be good enough to
give me reply stating whether or not the Chinese Government really
entertains such an intention.
I avail, etc.,
(Signed) HIOKI EKI.
His Excellency, Lou Tseng-tsiang, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
--Reply--
Peking, the 25th day of the 5th month of the 4th year of the
Republic of China.
Monsieur le Ministre,
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency's
note of this day's date which I have noted.
In reply I beg to inform you that the Chinese Government hereby
declares that it has given no permission to foreign nations to
construct, on the coast of Fukien Province, dock-yards, coaling
stations for military use, naval bases, or to set up other
military establishment; nor does it entertain an intention of
borrowing foreign capital for the purpose of setting up the above-
mentioned establishmments.
I avail, etc.,
(Signed) LOU TSENG-TSIANG.
His Excellency, Hioki Eki, Japanese Minister.
DOCUMENTS IN GROUP IV
(1) The Draft of the Permanent Constitution completed in May,
1917.
(2) The proposed Provincial System, i.e., the local government
law.
(3) Memorandum by the Ministry of Commerce on Tariff Revision,
illustrating the anomalies of present trade taxation.
(4) The leading outstanding cases between China and the Foreign
Powers.
DRAFT OF THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION OF CHINA
(As it stood on May 28th, 1917, in its second reading at the
Constitutional Conference.
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