893.01/135: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Mayer) to the Secretary of State
Peking, November 13,
1924—6 p.m.
[Received November 13—1:23 p.m.]
[Received November 13—1:23 p.m.]
445. Your 277, November 11, 4 p.m.
- 1.
- Dr. Wang’s note informing me of his assumption of duties as Minister for Foreign Affairs replied to in usual course employed when new Foreign Minister appointed. British, Japanese, French, Belgian, Italian and Netherlands Legations acted likewise as I understand did the other Legations.
- 2.
- I returned Dr. Wang’s call but have refrained from calling at Foreign Office on regular diplomatic day and have sent my card to Acting Premier in return for his. I understand other chiefs of mission acted similarly. Diplomatic body generally considered situation merely as a Cabinet change, an opinion which I shared as expressed in my telegram aforementioned.44
- 3.
- However, at the diplomatic body meeting of November 10th it was decided that we would not attend Acting Premier’s afternoon reception this week (all had been invited) in order to show Huang Fu, C. T. Wang, and those now in authority that although we had [Page 422] not made any formal reserves yet we had not accepted Cabinet change without a mental reservation of waiting to see how the situation would develop [before?] according it our entire approval. We have apparently achieved our purpose, since day following most of diplomatic body were visited by emissaries from the Foreign Office who informed us on Huang Fu’s behalf that he had issued the invitation to afternoon reception in his private capacity. I referred Foreign Office secretary who called on me to senior minister who had informally conveyed our position to the Wai Chiao Pu. I assured secretary that no personal affront was intended the Acting Premier and that the United States had no feeling of special affinity or antipathy to any political faction in China, being entirely neutral. The reception, I understand, has been canceled.
- 4.
- I have only visited the Minister for Foreign Affairs the one time and intended to have as little to do with the present administration as possible compatible with the protection of our interests. I note Department’s instructions in the above regard and will carry them out.
Mayer