893.5045/88: Telegram

The Chargé in China (Mayer) to the Secretary of State

217. My 211, June 8, 7 p.m.

1.
Following résumé of note of June 11 from Wai Chiao Pu to senior minister. Note criticises action of Settlement authorities, again condemns killing of Chinese and in view of nation-wide grief and indignation considers Settlement police should be disarmed and all troops withdrawn in order to facilitate negotiations. Requests issuance of urgent instructions to consular body, Shanghai, to this effect.
2.
To which reply drafted at meeting of Heads of Legation this morning in substance as follows: Desiring to clear up as soon as possible distressing and dangerous situation, diplomatic representatives have instructed their delegation at Shanghai to consider with consular body and Chinese Government delegates, Shanghai, best means of finding remedy therefor. Diplomatic representatives recall to the attention of the Chinese Government its grave responsibility for maintaining order at Shanghai, Peking, and throughout China.
3.
In presenting this note to Minister for Foreign Affairs, Monsieur Cerruti was authorized by Heads of Legation to call the attention of Chinese Government to advisability of its taking appropriate steps to put stop to further student agitation and demonstrations with particular reference to inflammatory handbills and placards depicting Chinese murdered by foreigners and advocating death to foreigners and the like.
4.
President under date 10th instant stated officially Chang Tsolin92 and Feng Yu-hsiang93 with their principal generals have telegraphed Chief Executive regarding Shanghai disturbances. Chang upholds innocence of Shanghai student demonstrators, presents entirely inaccurate facts, refers to strikes and national excitement and predicts damage to international relations through British disregard of principles of justice. Places blame entirely on British. Promises full support to the Chief Executive and urges firm stand in protection of the people. Feng telegram also entirely exculpates Shanghai demonstrators, places blame on the British and stigmatizes police action as greatest disgrace to China in years. Telegram urges Chief Executive take firm stand; and states that if the British Government confesses crime and makes amends so much the better, but if not signers of telegram will support the union on behalf of justice, humanity, national sovereignty and people’s lives even if signers perish in attempt in order to calm agitation and redress national humiliation. It is quite evident from these telegrams that militarists are making every effort to use present situation in order to cause Chinese people to forget antimilitarist feelings.
5.
In this connection I am becoming increasingly concerned with question of harmful reaction upon the anticipated special conference94 of continued student agitation and refusal or inability of Chinese Government to control situation. … I apprehend that continuation of student agitation and despatch of notes by Foreign Office to Heads of Legation will eventually result in eliminating Government’s foreign [Page 666] sympathy and producing an atmosphere calculated to militate against successful conference. The singling out of Great Britain for attack which is increasing in animosity is singularly unfortunate in my opinion since as in the Washington Conference we and China must to a great extent depend upon British cooperation to achieve constructive action in special conference. I fear Chinese Government, so called, has not kept sufficiently in mind the bigger questions in its desire to use the present so-called patriotic agitation of the students and the attitude of the militarists indicated by the two proclamations summarized above to consolidate Government’s position.
[Paraphrase.] I talked informally and confidentially yesterday with the secretary of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I expressed myself to him to the above effect, of course omitting any reference to the desire of the Chinese Government to reap a benefit as suggested above. I suggest that it might be advisable for the Department to call the Chinese Minister’s attention to this matter and to ask him to communicate to his Government on the subject.
6.
At the beginning of the Shanghai incident the Japanese were reviled as much as the British but during last two days the British have been given most of the attention. It will be noticed that Chang and Feng did not mention Japan in their telegrams. I have reason to think that there is an effort to weaken the present prestige in China of the United States and the resulting influence of our country with the Chinese Government, the purpose of this effort being to enable Japan to pose as China’s chief foreign friend. [End paraphrase.]
7.
Thus far I have believed Chinese feeling is, generally speaking, nationalistic rather than antiforeign with the exception of Great Britain where again I do not consider it antiforeign in the sense of Boxer days. However the material at hand is very inflammable and a continuance of agitation and its manipulation by distribution of funds and otherwise throughout China may with some new incident create a situation full of menace to foreigners.
Mayer
  1. Text printed from corrected copy received Jan. 7, 1926.
  2. Commander in chief of the Manchurian forces and virtual ruler of Manchuria.
  3. Commander in chief of the People’s Army and director general of Northwest Frontier Defence.
  4. Special Conference on the Chinese Customs Tariff, pp. 833 ff.