793.00/69
The British Chargé (Chilton) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 7.]
Sir: In my note No. 677 of the 3rd instant, I had the honour to submit to you the views of His Majesty’s Government regarding the reply to be returned to the note recently addressed by the Chinese Government to the Corps Diplomatique at Peking, and I enquired whether the United States Government would be disposed to send instructions in the matter to the United States Representative at that capital similar to those which had already been addressed to His Majesty’s Representative.
His Majesty’s Government now learn that the United States Representative has already been informed of the attitude which he should adopt towards the note in question,80 and it is understood that the tenour of his instructions is as follows:—
- (1)
- The United States Government consider that the Chinese proposals should be met with an expression of willingness to accord help and full and sympathetic consideration to the modification of existing treaties in the same measure as the Chinese Government give proof of their power and ability to fulfil their obligations to protect foreign rights.
- (2)
- The United States Government desire to expedite the preparations for a tariff conference, and have instructed the United States Representative to impress upon his colleagues the view that, when its work under the treaty has been accomplished, the conference should make recommendations upon which a programme for granting complete tariff autonomy may be elaborated.
- (3)
- The United States Representative is also to make clear that the United States Government favour speedy preparations for sending out an extraterritorial Commission. Furthermore, this Commission should be requested to make recommendations upon which may be based a programme for the gradual relinquishment of extraterritorial rights pari passu with steps taken by the Chinese Government to establish a legal system capable of securing the legitimate interests of foreigners.
His Majesty’s Government are in complete sympathy with the aims which these instructions are intended to secure. At the same time, however, I am instructed to inform you that His Majesty’s Government entertain doubts as to the wisdom of laying down now that the Commission should be given such definite terms of reference as those suggested above. It is the opinion of His Majesty’s Government that the Commission should be left free to make its own recommendations, and they consider that any attempt to indicate at this stage of the negotiations that the Powers are prepared to [Page 776] go such lengths in meeting the Chinese demand for the abolition of extraterritoriality would be fraught with danger and liable to be regarded as a capitulation.
In these circumstances, His Majesty’s Government are generally disposed to think that the ends common to the United States Government and to themselves can best be secured by concentrating upon the tariff conference, and by keeping the extraterritorial issue in the background, at any rate for the time being.
I have [etc.]
- See telegram No. 125, July 1, to the Chargé in China.↩