793.003 C 73/239: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (MacMurray)
6. Department’s No. 299, October 20, 4 p.m.47 Chinese Minister informed Department orally that he had been instructed by his Government [Page 967] to obtain text of invitation sent by this Government to the Powers to attend Commission on Extraterritoriality. Minister was informed that no invitation to attend Commission on Extraterritoriality was sent by this Government; that after the delivery of the identic notes at Peking on September 448 this Government circularized the Powers party to Washington Conference or who had adhered to Resolution V49 inviting their attention to the terms of Resolution V and to the statement made in the identic notes of September 4. This Government stated that it desired to have the report of that Commission before it and had named Mr. Strawn as its Commissioner and suggested that December 18, 1925, be accepted by the interested Powers as the date upon which the Commission would commence its functions at Peking. As regards the manner in which the Commission was to perform its work the Government of the United States stated that it believed this should be left to the Commission which should be guided as [to?] its duties and the intentions of the several Governments by the letter and spirit of Resolution V and the Powers’ notes to China of September 4. It is suggested that you take occasion to present this information informally to the Chinese Foreign Office.