893.5045/187: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Houghton)
272. Your 257, August 15, 3 p.m. was communicated in substance to American Legation at Peking. The American Minister replies that in his mind and in those of several of his colleagues whose opinion he respects, there is no doubt that McEuen’s resignation is necessary and that the proposal that he be “suspended without prejudice” pending the inquiry would be regarded by the Chinese as a mere device to let him have a holiday until the judicial inquiry has returned the finding that it is not competent to review his exercise of the administrative discretion confided to him.
He points out that McEuen is an administrative officer whose continuance in the office is the occasion for ill-will and distrust not only [Page 699] locally but throughout China. You are authorized to communicate the above to the British Foreign Office and to state that we hope that the British Government may find itself able to reconsider its position in this connection in view of the desirability that early action of a conciliatory nature should be taken in connection with the Shanghai matter. It is the considered view of this Government that as much should be done as is possible to make some advance toward a settlement of the Shanghai matter in order to get that out of the way before the Special Conference on Tariffs meets in October.