893.00/5186
The Minister in China (Schurman) to the Secretary of State
Peking, August 17,
1923.
[Received September 21.]
No. 1738
Sir: With reference to my telegram No. 283, of
August 12, 11 a.m.,19
regarding the probability of an outbreak of hostilities between the
Military Governors of Kiangsu and Chekiang Provinces, I have the honor
to transmit herewith a copy of the joint note on
[Page 516]
the matter which my French, British and Japanese
Colleagues and I addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August
11th.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
The Ministers of the United
States, France, Great Britain, and Japan to the
Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Wellington Koo)
Your Excellency: We, the undersigned
Ministers of the United States, France, Great Britain and Japan,
have been disturbed of late by recurrent reports that there is the
possibility of an outbreak of hostilities between the high
provincial authorities of Kiangsu and Chekiang. While entirely
ignorant of the degree of credence to be attached to these reports
we nevertheless feel it our duty to remind the Chinese Government of
the enormous foreign interests that exist in the region of Shanghai,
which the Chinese Government is by treaty under obligation to
protect, to call attention to the incalculable losses and injuries
which would inevitably result to those interests from the conduct of
military operations in the region indicated, and to emphasize in the
most solemn manner the inescapable obligations of the Chinese
Government effectively to prevent loss of life and property to
members of the foreign community in and about Shanghai.
We, the undersigned, are constrained to add that in the event that
the Government of China, or the authorities of the provinces
concerned, fail to afford to these legitimate interests the
protection which it is the right of our respective nationals to
expect, we shall hold the Chinese Government accountable for all
consequent injuries and shall adopt such measures and utilize such
means as are available to us to afford requisite protection to
foreign residents, and to our trade and property, at or near
Shanghai.
Accept [etc.]
- Jacob Gould Schurman
- C. de fleuriau
- Ronald Macleay
- Y. Yoshizawa
