793.00/146
The Acting Secretary of State to the British Chargé (Chilton)
Sir: The receipt is acknowledged of your note No. 753 of August 19, 1925, in which you state that the British Government has reason to believe that the Japanese Government may be inclined to question the inclusion of Chinese tariff autonomy in the agenda of the conference to be held in the near future, and that this attitude on the part of Japan may result in a divergence of views between the Powers and a consequent further delay in replying to the Chinese note. I agree with the views of the British Government that recent developments in China seem to indicate a movement aiming at the abolition of extraterritoriality and looking to complete fiscal autonomy, and that this movement can only be met by a gradual and dignified surrender of treaty rights by the Powers, with particular reference to the Japanese attitude on this question.23
It gives me pleasure to be able to inform you that on the 20th instant the Japanese Ambassador informed me that the Japanese Government was prepared to accept the modified draft of the reply to the Chinese proposals offered by the American Government, provided the last two sentences of paragraph five could be amended to read as follows:
“To that end the Government of the United States is ready to appoint its delegates to the Special Conference on Chinese tariff matters provided for in the Treaty of February 6, 1922, and is furthermore willing, either at that Conference or at a subsequent time, to consider and discuss any reasonable proposal that may be made by the Chinese Government for a revision of the treaties on the subject of tariff.”
This information was transmitted by telegraph to the American Embassy at London on the 21st instant for communication to the British Government. The American proposed draft embodying the [Page 822] modifications offered by the British and Japanese Governments now reads as follows:
[Here follows text, the same, except for certain changes in form, as note No. 41, September 4, from the American Minister to the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs, printed on page 831.]
This Government is willing to accept the Japanese wording, provided it is acceptable to the other Powers, in the interest of international cooperation, for it believes that this wording leaves the Conference free to entertain any proposals which the Chinese may wish to make. I hope that this will mean that the Powers, through their representatives at Peking, will be able now to reach an early conclusion as to their replies to the Chinese proposals of June 24. I have instructed the American Minister at Peking as to our views in this matter.
Accept [etc.]
- Apparently the last phrase in this sentence was intended to be the opening phrase in the next paragraph.↩