893.512/504
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Johnson)
The Japanese Ambassador came to see me at 3:45 this afternoon. He stated that his Government was somewhat surprised at the action taken by the British in their memorandum which was left with the Diplomatic Body at Peking on December 18 and published on December 25.10 He stated that the Japanese Government felt that the surtaxes of the Washington Conference should not be implemented without condition as stipulated by the Washington Treaty; that his Government had made a proposal to the Diplomatic Body at Peking suggesting that an informal resumption of the Special Tariff Conference be called at Peking to sit with representatives of North and South China for the purpose of completing the program of that Conference. I told him that we had no information with regard to this new plan of the Japanese.
He stated that the method which the British Government has used in this matter made it very difficult for cooperation among the Japanese, British and American Governments on these matters, a thing which the Japanese Government had hoped very much could be brought about; his Government felt that the British memorandum had precipitated a very difficult situation in the Far East as regards China, and that it was almost impossible to know how to deal with it. He said that the Japanese Government desired very much to prevent any separation of China into several parts, a thing which he felt the British memorandum rather encouraged than discouraged.
I told the Ambassador that the British memorandum was still receiving consideration by the Secretary and that it was our expectation that when a reply was prepared a copy would be given to the diplomatic missions at Washington of the Powers party to the Washington Conference.