793.00/46: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in China ( Mayer )
125. Your 247, June 24, 6 p.m. Department feels that the Chinese proposal should be made the occasion of evidencing to the Chinese our willingness to consider sympathetically and helpfully the modification of existing treaties in measure as the Chinese authorities demonstrate their willingness and ability to fulfill their obligations and to assume the protection of the foreign rights and interests now safeguarded by the exceptional provisions of existing treaties.
In discussing with your colleagues the text of the reply which each will make to the identic notes of the Chinese foreign office of June 24 you will take occasion to impress upon them this Government’s desire that the powers concerned expedite preparations for the holding of the special conference regarding Chinese customs tariff stating that this Government believes that that Conference should be requested, after accomplishing the work required by the treaty, to make concrete recommendations upon which a program for granting complete tariff autonomy to China may be worked out. You will also make clear to your colleagues this Government’s desire that the preparations for the despatch of the commission to investigate the question of extraterritoriality be proceeded with without delay and state that this Government feels that this commission should be requested to include in its report recommendations upon which a program for the gradual relinquishment of extraterritorial rights may be based which may be carried out pari passu with steps to be taken by the Chinese Government looking to the adoption of laws and the establishment [Page 768] of legal institutions capable of giving legitimate foreign interests the protection now given under the treaties.
Before finally accepting the text of any identic note to be delivered to the Chinese Government you will communicate text to the Department for its approval. Keep Department informed by telegraph of developments as discussion proceeds. Repeat to Shanghai for MacMurray.