893.00 Nanking/135: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 6—4:32 p.m.]
526. 1. Following telegram received from Consul General Gauss at Shanghai as his No. 31, May 4, 4 p.m.
Nanking Government has offered post of Minister for Foreign Affairs to C. C. Wu. Probably he will accept, but one of the difficulties facing him is that of dealing with the demands on the Nanking affair in a way that will satisfy both Chinese opinion and the interested powers. It has been suggested through Mr. Norman69 that Wu might confer with you or with your representative at Shanghai regarding a further note to be sent by the powers and a suitable answer for the Nanking Government to make. Shall I have in your behalf an unofficial preliminary discussion with Wu along the lines indicated?
2. To the above telegram I am replying today as follows:
31. May 6, 6 p.m.
- (a)
- I do not see any objection to your taking a receptive attitude toward any initiative which Wu may take with you or Consul Davis (I understand he is in Shanghai at present) looking toward a settlement of the Nanking affair. I am not in a position to inform you, however, with which faction our Government contemplates dealing, nor with regard to the terms upon which our Government is prepared to insist, nor as to the extent to which it will go in its insistence. You must, therefore, be most discreet in avoiding making any commitments on any of these points.
- (b)
- I am repeating to the Department for instructions your telegram No. 31, May 4, 4 p.m. and this telegram.
3. Please send instructions with respect to the above.
- Robert S. Norman, American citizen, formerly legal adviser to Sun Yat-sen, in Shanghai on a visit while en route from Canton to the United States.↩