893.51/4699: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in China (Bell)

243. Your No. 397, October 20, 5 p.m. is being repeated to London and Paris, and reference thereto being made to Tokyo (on the assumption that Tokyo has received a copy) with instructions, without disclosing the text, promptly to discuss the substance thereof with the Foreign Offices concerned with a view to ascertaining, as fully as possible, the views of the respective governments with regard to the maintenance of the integrity of the Canton Customs. The Department’s instruction is in part as follows:

“It is the Department’s view that the situation at Canton, which again appears to threaten the integrity of the Chinese Customs, is one which does not permit of isolated action but requires, if any action is to be taken, close cooperation on the part of the Powers principally interested. … You may state that this Government is prepared to cooperate … in the same manner as it did in December, 1923, provided that like cooperation is assured by the British, French, and Japanese Governments.”

The Department approves of the telegrams despatched by you to Jenkins and to the Commander in Chief of the Asiatic Fleet as quoted in paragraph 6 of your No. 397, October 20, 1924.

Hughes