123 M 221/126: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in China (Mayer)
91. Your 178, April 30, 7 p.m. The Department considers that it is somewhat artificial and impractical to consider in connection with the presentation of letters of credence the qualifications which may have been attached to the recognition of the present Peking régime last December (your telegram No. 472, December 4, 3 p.m.),48 in view of the relations that the Powers are actually maintaining with that régime. It is not apparent that the presentation of letters of credence would import any substantial modification of the attitude already adopted by the Powers as instanced by the conclusion of the gold franc agreement49 by which France appears to recognize the present Peking Government as competent to create obligations binding upon any succeeding Government of China. You may so inform your colleagues.
[Page 631]If inquiry should be made of the Department by the Belgian, French or other representatives here, reply will be made as indicated above.
- Ibid., p. 431.↩
- Translations of the notes dated Apr. 12, 1925, exchanged between the Chinese Foreign Office and the French Minister in China settling the controversy regarding payment of the French share of the Boxer Indemnity in gold francs are printed in the China Year Book, 1925–6, pp. 1297–1300.↩