Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1924, Volume I

893.053Sh/29: Telegram

The Minister in China (Schurman) to the Secretary of State

Peking, May 30, 1924—1 p.m.
[Received 3 p.m.]

145. Your telegram number 108 of May 23, 3 p.m. On May 7th the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs questioned me regarding the dean’s note of April 10th⁵² and I assured him in the clearest terms that the note did not make the settlement of any extraneous questions a condition to the rendition of the Mixed Court and that if such had been the intention the draft would not have received unanimous approval. Dr. Koo stated that he had observed that the note was drawn up in this sense.

On May 28th I asked Koo why incident to above conversation he had telegraphed the Chinese Minister in the sense you indicate. He replied that his telegram was sent before our conversation and that my assurances had so far allayed his fears that he had materially modified his contemplated reply to the dean sent May 9th. This reply expressed the opinion of the Chinese Government that after the rendition of [sic] the three guarantees enumerated in the dean’s note could be agreed to and indicated the Government’s willingness to prepare for negotiations on the other subjects with a view to attaining a satisfactory result at an early date, provided such matters will contribute to Chinese and foreign welfare and can be put into practice without difficulty. I placed on May 14 on the circular transmitting this reply a notation again stating that the American Government desired forthcoming negotiations to be strictly limited to the rendition of the Court⁵³ and was “not prepared to make rendition conditional upon obtaining from the Chinese Government any benefits or concessions upon extraneous subjects.”

I also concurred in the dean’s opinion that the three guarantees enumerated in the dean’s note of April 10 be given before rendition takes place. I explained the matter to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and am confident that the Chinese Government and public thoroughly understand that the question of rendition will be decided on its own merits solely.

Schurman

52. Not printed.
53. Prolonged negotiations between the diplomatic corps and the Chinese Foreign Office and between the consular representatives at Shanghai and the Kiangsu provincial officials resulted in the signing of an agreement Dec. 31, 1926, for the rendition of the Shanghai Mixed Court.