861.77/2167: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan (Bell)
122. Your despatch 873, June 27, 1921.21 In view of Stevens’ recommendations, and the British Government’s attitude, Department believes the time opportune to suggest to the Japanese Government the reorganization of the supervision of the Chinese Eastern Railway. You will therefore informally present to the Japanese Foreign Office the text of the proposed plan which was forwarded to you as an enclosure in Department’s despatch No. 469, May 16, 1921,22 omitting the penultimate paragraph beginning with the words “concerning the financial condition” and ending with the words “with full executive authority vested in its President”. And you will say that the Japanese Government is being thus informally approached in the hope of establishing an identity of views in advance of more general discussions; in the same manner in which the original agreement was arrived at in January, 1919.
Advise Peking and Stevens, for their confidential information only, that you have taken this action.