861.77/3543: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Schurman)
184. Your 266, July 31, 4 p.m. The Department does not feel that the draft joint note is calculated to improve the status of our position vis-à-vis the Chinese Government with respect to the Chinese Eastern Railway as that position now exists as the result of the Legation’s note of May 325 and the Chinese Government’s reply of June 16.26 Should, however, the British, Japanese, and French representatives all be authorized to join in the proposed note, the Department would not feel disposed to object to your taking the same action, notwithstanding the note would seem to be quite unnecessary and would perhaps afford the Chinese Government a further opportunity to give expression to the unreasonable attitude manifested in its note of June 16. In the event of unanimous agreement to despatch the note the Department, to obviate any implication of a threat, suggests as a substitute for “serious consequences” the words “confused situation” or “unfortunate results.”