Buy Patriotic Chinese in Hangrhow, We respectfully petition the Honourable Chairman and members of th American Association in China, as early as possible to plan for asking the Minister and Consuls of the U.S. to cable to the Department of State, to beg of Hiy Excellency the President of the United States'that he use the indemnity for the purpose of establishing schools in China.
We, the petitioners, a hundred or so in number, regular readers of foreign and Chinese papers, have learned that your honourable Government has decided to lessen the Chinese indemnity by seven millions of dollars, returning that amount to China. We are grateful beyond expression at this evidence of the desire of your honourable country to deepen harmonious relations with China. We petitioners, in the light of conscience, and putting away selfish thoughts for the public good, in our knowledge of the condition of China, perceive that if will be impossible to improve the customs of our country and enlighten our people without the general establishment of schools and colleges. We therefore presume unitedly to inquire if it is not possible to give these seron millions of dollars to be returned to China into the hands of U. S. Consuls, or of missionaries, to choose important places and establish seven large colleges? The interest only to be used, the capital being left untouched. Thus China could gradually be brought
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.