893.512/479: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (MacMurray)

[Paraphrase]

308. Your telegrams number 628, December 19, 3 p.m., and number 632, December 22, 4 p.m. It is my desire that you fully support the British program in the conferences of the diplomatic body. As you well know, since the Washington Conference this Government has been anxious to place those surtaxes into effect that were agreed upon in the Washington Treaty, and it is now willing that they be put unconditionally into force throughout China. It has been and is willing to negotiate with China concerning relinquishment of its treaty control over duties which the Chinese Government levies on imports of products of American origin into China. In this connection we desire most-favored-nation treatment. Our urging the powers to broaden the scope of the Special Conference on the Chinese Tariff which last winter met at Peking was done with a view to making certain that that Conference would take up, as between the several powers and China, the question of granting tariff autonomy to China.

With reference to the extraterritoriality, you are instructed to give support to the British program favoring international agreement for immediate action upon those of the recommendations made in the Extraterritoriality Commission’s report96 which may be susceptible of having immediate effect given to them. It is the Department’s belief that, to the extent that this Government’s policy is concerned in regard to these matters, it has made already effective certain of that Commission’s recommendations as they have to do with interference by American citizens in China’s control over her own citizens. In this connection it is certain that every effort to prevent any abuse of the United States flag has been made.

… There is no reason that I can see why you should not publicly make known at Peking that the British recommendations have formed part of the United States Government’s policy for a long time. And I wish you to know that I contemplate making an address soon on the subject of our relations with China. In this I expect to make a statement of the readiness of this Government to negotiate with a Government representing China for the purpose of revising the existing American treaties in the directions of relinquishing the extraterritorial privileges of Americans in China and of granting China the right to establish her own tariff rates on products of American origin.

… I would appreciate having an opinion from you as soon as possible.

Kellogg
  1. For summary of the report, see telegram No. 412, Sept. 17, from the Chargé in China, p. 979.