Show AS jOARTICLE THREEor r Uncle Sam Does Not Regard Himself Called t Upon to Express Opinion on Clause in AngloGerman Agreement I I Washington Oct 31 rue State department 1 de-partment today made public the Brit ishGerman agreement respecting the maintenance of open door ant territorial 1 i terri-torial Integrity of China with the answer an-swer of the United States Government sent in duplicate to each of thc powers pow-ers to the agreemenL T HAY TO PAUNCBFOTE Department of State Washington Oct 29 1900ExcehlencyI have the honor to acknowledge to the receipt of your note of the 23rd of October inclosing in-closing the text of an agreement between be-tween Great Britain and Germany relating re-lating to affairs In China which was signed In London on the ICth Inst by the Marquis of Salisbury and the German Ger-man Embassador on behalf of their respective re-spective Government and inviting the acceptance by the United States of the principles recorded In that agreement These principles are First It Is a matter of Joint and permanent International Interest that the ports on the rivers and littoral of China should remain free and open to trade and to every other legitimate form of economic activity for the nationals na-tionals of all countries without distinction distinc-tion and the two Governments agree ton arlee on their part to uphold the same for all Chinese territory as far as they can exercise Influence SecondHer Britannic Majestys Government and the Imperial German Government will not on their part make use of the present complication to obtain f i themselves any territorial advantages in Chinese dominions and will direct their policy toward maintaining main-taining undiminished the territorial condition of the Chinese empire POSITION UNITED STATES The United States have heretofore made known their adoption of both these principles During the last year this Government Invited the powers Interested in China to join In nn expression In pression of views and purposes In the direction of Impartial trade with that country and received satisfactory assurances as-surances to that effect from all of them When the recent troubles were at their height this Government on the 3rd of July once more made an announcement an-nouncement its policy regarding impartial Im-partial trade and tho Integrity of the Chinese empire and had the gratifica gratfcl tion of learning that all the powers held similar views And since that time the mont gratifying harmony has existed among all the nations con corned IH to the ends to be pursued and there has been little divergence of opinion as to Iho details of the course to be followed I It therefore with much satisfac tion that the President directs me to Inform you of tho full sympathy of this Government with thom of her Britannic Majesty and the German Emperor in tho principles set forth In the clauses Qf tho agreement above cited cIedAS AS TO THIRD CLAUSE The third clause of the agreement provides Third In COM of another power makluJ complication In China in order or-der to obtain under any form whatever formwhntever any territorial I advantages tho two contracting parties reserve to thom nelvcs to come to f preliminary understanding under-standing as to the eventual steps to be taken for the protection of their own Interests In China As this clause refers to a reciprocal arrangement between the two 1ligit contracting poweru the Gbvornmqnt of i the United States does not regard Ituejf I as called upon to express an opinion In respect to It I have etc 1 JOtiN HAY I A similar note mutatis mutandis was r addressed tHe same n by the Sec I fl I retaryof Stateto the Imperial I l Germujbi l Cllarge dAffaIrcs7 I |