Chester Holcombe to Walker Blaine, December 16, 1881

No. 70. Mr. Holcombe to Mr. Blaine

Sir: Shortly after closing my dispatch, No. 21, in the matter of the Danish Telegraph Company’s monopoly scheme, I learned that the agent of the company had renewed his efforts at Tientsin to secure the final approval of his propositions by the Chinese Government.

It therefore seemed desirable to lay before the foreign office your views upon this subject as contained in your instructions Nos. 122 and 125, both in order that this government might know that Mr. Angell’s course in the premises had been approved by the Department, and also with the hope that your opinions might have weight in deciding the course of the Chinese Government in the matter.

Accordingly I addressed a dispatch to Prince Kung, a copy of which is inclosed. In it, after summarizing the contents of your instructions referred to above, I asked His Imperial Highness to inform me officially whether His Imperial Majesty had approved the agreement made between the agent of the Danish company and Viceroy Li.

* * * * * * *

I inclose a translation of His Imperial Highnesses reply. It is official, bearing the seal of the foreign office, and far more satisfactory than I had reason to expect. And it declares positively that the monopoly scheme has not been approved by this government.

But by far the most interesting and valuable part of His Imperial Highness’s reply is found in the second paragraph which declares that whenever an American company shall desire to lay a telegraph cable between Japan and China an arrangement will be made “which shall not disappoint the hopes of the American company in the least degree.” In view of the intense and traditional conservatism of China upon this and all kindred questions, the importance of this concession can hardly be overestimated.

Having received such satisfactory assurances from the foreign office, I closed the correspondence by thanking Prince Kung for the prompt and explicit answer which he had given.

As the German minister had acted in conjunction with this legation in this business, I have furnished him with a copy of Prince Kung’s letter.

I beg your approval of my action in the premises.

I have, &c.,