asing incident in the relations of this Government with that
of Chile occurred in the generous assistance given to the war ship
_Newark_ when in distress in Chilean waters. Not alone in this way
has the friendly disposition of Chile found expression. That country has
acceded to the convention for the establishment of the Bureau of the
American Republics, in which organization every independent State of the
continent now shares.

The exchange of ratifications of a convention for the revival of the
United States and Chilean Claims Commission and for the adjudication of
claims heretofore presented but not determined during the life of the
previous Commission has been delayed by reason of the necessity for
fresh action by the Chilean Senate upon the amendments attached to the
ratification of the treaty by the United States Senate. This formality
is soon to be accomplished.

In view of disturbances in the populous provinces of northern China,
where are many of our citizens, and of the imminence of disorder near
the capital and toward the seaboard, a guard of marines was landed
from the _Boston_ and stationed during last winter in the legation
compound at Peking. With the restoration of order this protection was
withdrawn.

The interests of our citizens in that vast Empire have not been neglected
during the past year. Adequate protection has been secured for our
missionaries and some injuries to their property have been redressed.

American capital has sought and found various opportunities of competing
to carry out the internal improvements which the Imperial Government is
wisely encouraging, and to develop the natural resources of the Empire.
Our trade with China has continued to grow, and our commercial rights
under existing treaties have been everywhere maintained during the past
year, as they will be in the future.

The extension of the area open to international foreign settlement at
Shanghai and the opening of the ports of Nanking, Tsing-tao (Kiao chao),
and Ta-lien-wan to foreign trade and settlement will doubtless afford
American enterprise additional facilities and new fields, of which it
will not be slow to take advantage.

In my message to Congress of December 5, 1898, I urged that the
recommendation which had been made to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives by the Secretary of the Treasury on the 14th of June,
1898, for an appropriation for a commission to study the commercial
and industrial condit