APPENDIX III
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Office of the Secretary
Washington
May 12, 1919.
Hon. Sun Yat Sen,
29 Rue Molière,
Shanghai, China.
Your Excellency:
I have read with the greatest interest the project for the International Development of China enclosed in your letter of March 17th, and agree with you that the economic development of China would be of the greatest advantage, not only to China, but to the whole of mankind.
The plans you propose, however, are so complex and extensive that it will take many years to work them out in detail. You doubtless are fully aware that it would take billions of dollars to carry out even a small portion of your proposals and that most of them would not be able to pay interest charges and expenses of operation for some years. The first question to be
17
257
