500.A4d/129: Telegram

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

[Paraphrase]

91. Tour 46, February 23, 4 [7] p.m.

1.
I fear the attitude of the Minister for Foreign Affairs scarcely justifies the hope of the Chinese Minister in this matter. It now seems material to me in the light of your 46 that Wang volunteered at dinner [Page 1018] with me February 10th a statement of his position which I did not consider important at the time in view of my understanding from your telegram February 4, 3 p.m., that the delivery of your note was about to take place. Wang said he had concluded that, in deference to the sensibilities of the United States Government on the question, the proper solution would be that he would not insist that our invitation to Germany be withdrawn and that it should be understood that the necessary ratification of its adherence would be left in abeyance by the German Government. This was now the intention of the latter Government, he said; but since then I have been assured by the German Minister that that is not true, as the intention of his Government is to proceed as a matter of course with ratification, although such action is being delayed for a short time, upon his suggestion, in order to minimize the effects of any propaganda against Germany which might be undertaken here by Wang or his Soviet advisers.
2.
Yesterday when I called upon Wang concerning other matters he refrained from referring to this question.
MacMurray