893.00/3178
The Minister in China (Reinsch) to the Acting Secretary of
State
Peking, June 7,
1919.
[Received July
22]
No. 2798
Sir: In connection with my despatch No.
2781 [2787] of June 3rd, I have the honor to
enclose a copy of a circular sent by the British Minister to the
Colleagues who joined him in the memorandum presented to the
President on June 5th.
It is reported to me that on June 6, a meeting of the Cabinet
Ministers and other high officials was held and it was decided to
ask Mr. Chu Chi-chen to return to Shanghai in order to take up with
Mr. Tang Shao-yi, conversations for the resumption of the Peace
Conference. Another report is not so reassuring; namely that in case
of the refusal of Mr. Chu Chi-chen to resume his post, Mr. Wang
Yi-tang, speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief of the
Anfu political club, will be appointed chief delegate. It is feared
that should the Anfu club impose itself upon the Government in this
way, the Peace Conference would be seriously discredited. The
definite statement in the note discountenancing further military
action has given considerable satisfaction to the liberal elements.
Most people seem to believe that more decisive action on the part of
the Powers will be necessary to effect a reorganization but they
welcome the note as an evidence of the continued interest of the
Powers.
There is also herewith enclosed a copy of the Dean’s circular
reporting on the presentation of the memorandum at Canton;53 as
[Page 356]
well as a Reuter telegram on the same
matter and one citing an editorial from the Canton
Times52
Substance of the latter is as follows:
“If the Powers desire to show their goodwill and friendly
interest, then they should deal justly with China, restore
Kiaochow and the former German interests in Shantung to
China and withdraw recognition and support from traitors and
corrupt militarists who have prospered and waxed great
because of the assistance they have received through foreign
recognition. They should show sympathy for the cause of
democracy and help the people to realise their legitimate
aspirations.”
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
Report by the British Minister of an
Audience with the President of China
Sir John Jordan read to the President a memorandum on the subject
of the cessation of the Shanghai Peace Conference, expressing
the views of himself and the Ministers for France, Italy, the
United States and Japan.
The President said that he appreciated the friendliness to China
conveyed by the terms of the memorandum. As regards a renewal of
hostilities between North and South, this was absolutely
impossible. All sections on both sides were determined that it
should not take place. Although formal meetings of the
Representatives were no longer taking place, the subordinate
representatives on both sides were still in touch with one
another. The eight demands recently presented by the South,
which led to the interruption of those meetings, came as a
bombshell to the leaders of all parties. Southern
representatives at Shanghai had, since the date on which they
were presented, admitted informally that the first three
demands, affecting as they did foreign relations, ought not to
have been brought up at a Conference which was only intended to
settle matters in dispute between North and South. The eighth
demand had been since withdrawn; only yesterday a telegram had
been received from Lu Jung-t’ing addressed to “President Hsu and
the Cabinet” instead of being addressed to himself and Cabinet
members in their private capacity.
The President said that the one outstanding difficulty was the
“legal difficulty”: i.e. the question whether the present Peking
Parliament, the Canton “Rump” or a newly elected Assembly shall
decide upon the future Constitution of China.
[Page 357]
He also mentioned that in a day or two a couple of subordinate
negotiators would be sent by him to Shanghai with a view to the
re-opening of negotiations.
The President said that he felt confident that agreement between
the two parties would be reached at Shanghai, this resulting in
the re-unification of China, which had been his aim since
assuming office last September.
Asked by Sir John Jordan whether a remark just made by the
President might be held to convey the idea that the difficulties
between North and South might be settled directly by
negotiations between Peking and the individual Southern leaders,
the President said it was not a case of his seeking to make an
arrangement with them but of their appealing to him. In any
case, he said, a definite settlement might be facilitated in
this way but it could only be consummated by a formal agreement
between authorized representatives at Shanghai.
