893.51/2796: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Wallace) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 26—2:15 p.m.]
1056. Re consortium. Your 766 repeated by London.19 Following note has been sent by the [Foreign] Office to Japanese Ambassador here:
“Referring to its memorandum dated the 21st instant to the Japanese Embassy the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has the honor to inform His Excellency Mr. Matsui that the British and American Governments have communicated to it the observations which they considered it their duty to make with regard to the restriction placed by the Imperial Japanese Government on the construction of [Page 535] the Taonanfu-Jehol line and the branch of the said line towards the north.
As the Ministry for Foreign Affairs reported to His Excellency Mr. Matsui in its preceding note it has learned that an agreement has been reached at Tokyo with regard to the aforesaid lines and that they were to be placed under the control of Chinese consortium.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs would be glad if the Japanese Government would be good enough to abide by the formula which has already received the approval of the English, American and French Governments and if possible it would not insist on taking into consideration the two propositions contained in the notes of April 1420 copies of which [were] handed the Ministry for Foreign Affairs by the Japanese Embassy, Paris. These propositions would seem to be of a character to bring up again the question of agreement which is practically concluded and to delay the definite constitution and action of the consortium.”
The Foreign Office has also cabled the above to the French Ambassador at [Tokyo] with instructions to repeat it to the Japanese Government after conferring with his British and American colleagues.
The action of the Foreign Office [was] rather unexpected. The British Embassy here was awaiting a reply from the Foreign Office as to its attitude towards making joint representations but apparently the Foreign Office in its zeal to support the American and British views has gone a step further before answering the British Embassy. However, I can perceive no harm done even though the note mentions that the British and American Governments have approached the French Government with regard to (and by inference against) the Japanese proposals. It will more than ever show to the Japanese Government the solidarity of the views of the three Governments and thus perhaps influence a favorable result.