500.A4/15: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Ruddock) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 13—3:06 p.m.]
259. Showed Yen34 your telegram number 191, July 10, 6 p.m., which he had received in substance from Sze35 and apparently interpreted as an invitation to join the conference on armaments as well as Far Eastern problems although the Department’s message would seem to show that China is to join in discussions only in connection with Far Eastern problems. In the absence of further instructions I did not venture to discuss this point. Yen expressed China’s gratitude for invitation to join conference. China will be pleased to participate in conference either on armaments or on Pacific problems. Yen is not clear however as tothe relations between the two matters as they have come up. He understands that the British Imperial Conference having failed to reach accord on the Anglo-Japanese alliance the British Government suggested to the American Government to call a conference on Far Eastern and Pacific problems to be held not [sic] in London. Instead of which the American Government has called a conference at Washington on the reduction of armaments to which discussion of Pacific and Far East is seemingly ancillary only. Yen asks elucidation.