893.74/175: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Ruddock) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 3—10:01 a.m.]
308. With reference to your telegram of August 28 [29], no. 242, the Cabinet is considering the matter. An interview with the Minister for Foreign Affairs gave me a stronger impression of timidity, the powerlessness of the Central Government confronted by Japanese and British pressure, and the reluctance of the Peking Government, in this instance, to face the logical consequences of an active espousal of the policy of the Open Door. Minister for Foreign Affairs asked me what the Chinese Government was to do when faced with such protests. He tried to circumvent the relation between the policy of the Open Door and the Federal Telegraph issue and stated that China desired British-American cooperation at the Conference as both Governments had declared themselves as favoring the policy of the Open Door, while on the other hand the Federal Telegraph question engendered antagonism. Yen asked me if the American Government anticipated going to all lengths to support the Open-Door policy. He also inquired what attitude the United States now took regarding the article in the Lansing-Ishii Agreement66 referring to special interests. Yen referred to proposed exchange of views in connection with invitation to the Conference at Washington. He said he had not received any suggestion as to the intentions of the State Department or as to the questions which could be presented without embarrassment to American plans, or regarding the number of delegates.