861.77/2184a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Harvey)
438. Department’s despatches No. 1346, May 16, 1921,22 and 1354, May 23, 1921.21 You will inform the British Foreign Office that in view of the position of the British Government and of a [Page 597] recommendation from John F. Stevens, the Department believes the time opportune to suggest to the Japanese Government the reorganization of the supervision of the Chinese Eastern Railway. You may say that the Department has today instructed the Embassy at Tokyo to present informally to the Japanese Foreign Office the text of the proposed plan which was forwarded to the British Ambassador March 24, 1921, (and to you in Department’s No. 1346, May 16), 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.”
Inform the Foreign Office that, in view of the British Government’s suggestion in the letter dated May 14, 1921, from Chargé Chilton,23 the Japanese Government is being approached informally in the hope of establishing an identity of views in advance of more general discussions.
In view of the British Government’s approval of the plan in principle (see Chilton’s letter enclosed in Department’s No. 1354, May 23, 1921), you will express the Department’s hope that the Foreign Office may find it possible to instruct its Ambassador at Tokyo to intimate to the Japanese Government in support of the proposal that the British Government would welcome the introduction of such a plan.
Inform Paris of the action taken for the Embassy’s confidential information.