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Minister for Foreign Affairs: Mr. Williams presented me formally to H. E. Sun Pao Ch'ih, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, to whom I submitted my credentials and with whom I had several conferences. His Excellency most kindly gave me a formal dinner at his official residence to which some twenty Chinese connoisseurs, archaeologists and scholars, and influential officials, including H. E. Wang Cheng T'ing the Vice President of the Senate, were also invited. In a short speech His Excellency welcomed me as representative of the proposed American School in Peking. He said that aside from the more obvious diplomatic relations of our two countries he valued most the opportunities offered by our Universities for Chinese students to study Western civilization, under the agreement concerning the return of the so-called Boxer indemnity by the United States government. The opportunity had now arisen for China to be of service to us in the matter of this school. He was able to guarantee the friendly interest of his government, and felt that he could speak for the scholars and connoisseurs of China in offering their cooperation. I answered him (interpreted by his Secretary Dr. Yeng), outlining the purpose and hopes of your Committee, emphasizing the fact that we came to learn from China and the Chinese and not to remove objects of national importance, and asked for the good will of Chinese scholars in our enterprise. 
Chinese Collectors: After the dinner I had interesting talks with the gentlemen present who were unanimous