893.74/210: Telegram
The Minister in China (Schurman) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 6—5:58 a.m.]
5. With reference to my telegram of December 5, no. 432,13 I am informed by a representative sent to me by the new Minister of [Page 845] Communications that, according to telegrams from the agents of the Ministry at the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, the American Government has apparently indicated that it approves the French proposals for the unification of the Chinese wireless.14 As the Minister of Communications disapproves these proposals he is disturbed and desires to proceed with the Federal Telegraph agreement. He urges the financial support of the American Government in behalf of the Federal Company in order to permit the building of the station at Shanghai, allowing the building of the other stations to wait until later, in this way reducing to about $3,000,000 the initial financial requirements.
In the event that this unification scheme is to supersede the Federal contract, it is deemed desirable for the information of the Chinese critics that the Department should issue a statement explaining the change. On the other hand if the Federal contract still holds the field, it is essential that work should be started without delay, in order to maintain American prestige.
- Foreign Relations, 1921, vol. i, p. 455.↩
- For resolutions presented to the Conference by René Viviani, French delegate, see S. Doc. No. 126, 67th Cong., 2d sess., pp. 573 ff. and 713 ff.↩