793.94/1275
The Chinese Minister ( Sze ) to the Secretary of State
My Dear Mr. Secretary: I mentioned to you last Friday that the conversations between the Chinese and Japanese Delegates on the Shantung question, which had been initiated on December 1st last, through your own and Mr. Balfour’s good offices, were suspended on the 20th last, in order to enable our Japanese colleagues to communicate with their Government. A week has since elapsed and we have received no word yet whether they have heard from Tokio. Knowing that Mr. Balfour and your good self are sincerely animated by a friendly desire to see these conversations successfully concluded as rapidly as possible, I beg to apprise you that my colleagues, Dr. Koo and Dr. Wang and I are prepared to resume the conversations with the Japanese Delegates so soon as we are informed that they, on their part, are likewise ready to do so.
I ought to add that Mr. Koo is also writing to Mr. Balfour informally in the same sense.
I am [etc.]