893.113/780
The Chargé in the Netherlands (Sussdorff) to the Secretary of
State
The
Hague, November 20,
1924.
[Received December 8.]
No. 367
Sir: With reference to the Department’s
unnumbered Instruction of October 17, 1923,64
and to the Legation’s despatch No. 340, of September 15, 1924,65 I have the honor to
inform the Department that I have just received a Note from the
Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs in which he outlines the views
of his Government with respect to the proposed modification of the terms
of the existing embargo on the shipment of arms and munitions of war to
China. A copy and translation of the Foreign Minister’s communication is
enclosed herewith.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure—Translation66]
The Netherland Minister for Foreign Affairs
(Karnebeek) to the American
Chargé (Sussdorff)
The
Hague, November 18,
1924.
Mr. Chargé d’affaires: In his note no. 87,
of November 2, 1923, His Excellency Mr. Tobin,67 was good enough to bring to my attention the
desire of the American Government that the Government of the Queen
should approve the amended draft resolution concerning the embargo
on the shipment of arms and munitions of war to China (draft
presented to the Washington Conference), with a subsequent
interpretative note adopted by the diplomatic corps at Peking on
October 3, 1922.
In reply, I have the honor to inform you that, as the Netherlands
Delegation to the Washington Conference has already pointed out, the
legislation of the Netherlands relating to trade in arms and
munitions does not permit an embargo on exports to other countries
of the articles mentioned in the interpretative note of the
diplomatic corps at Peking which is referred to above. Moreover, Her
Majesty’s Government wonders whether it is opportune at the present
moment to extend the scope of the draft resolution of Washington,
inasmuch as, according to information in the possession of the Royal
Government, this draft, even in its most limited original form, has
not yet been adopted by all the interested States. And one is
justified in wondering whether the anticipated action is desirable
at the present
[Page 538]
moment
when, it seems, important shipments of arms and munitions of all
kinds continue to be forwarded to China from all sides. On the other
hand, the Government of the Queen is in principle disposed to
cooperate as far as possible towards any project which would offer
serious international guarantees of success.
Please accept [etc.]
