893.00/9289
The American Legation to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs13
The American Legation presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has the honor to acknowledge receipt of the Ministry’s memorandum of June 7th, 1927, concerning the despatch of American reenforcements to Tientsin.
It is noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs observes that while the International Protocol of 1901 permits the signatory Powers to order up troops adequate to keep open communications between [Page 134] Peking and the sea, nevertheless, the number sufficient to maintain communications should be taken as the limit and these should not be unlimitedly reenforced. It is also noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requests that the contents of the memorandum under acknowledgment be transmitted to the American Government in order that the most earnest consideration may be given to the withdrawal of these reenforcements at an early date.
Without discussing this question of the interpretation of the Protocol, the American Legation has the honor to inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that in the judgement of the American military and naval authorities the reenforcements in question are, under existing circumstances, within the limits of the number required for the carrying out of the purposes set forth in the International Protocol of 1901.
In this connection the American Legation again has the honor to inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that these reenforcements have been despatched to Tientsin solely for the purpose of protecting American lives and property, and that such additional forces will be withdrawn as soon as it is demonstrated that their presence is no longer required.
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Minister in China as an enclosure in his despatch No. 1093, June 16; received Aug. 8.↩