893.00 Nanking/136: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (MacMurray)
[Paraphrase]
Washington, May 9, 1927—1
p.m.
211. Your telegram No. 526 of May 6, 10 p.m.
- 1.
- Your instructions to Gauss and Davis to receive any statement which C. C. Wu may wish to offer but to make no commitment are [Page 220] approved. You may, unless you perceive objection, communicate Gauss’ telegram to you and your reply to him to your interested colleagues, as I rather think that we should keep them informed as a matter of good faith. Quite likely similar advances have been made to them.
- 2.
- I do not believe any new note on the subject of the Nanking affair should be sent to the Nanking authorities, especially as Chiang Kaishek has the opportunity of making some answer to the notes of April 11, and we lack information as to whom Wu represents.
- 3.
- Confidentially, I am not ready to say that our Government would not accept finally a settlement of the Nanking incident modifying to some extent the terms originally demanded, but I do not see that it will serve any good purpose to write more notes on the subject until responsible authorities offer some definite proposition. In case Chiang Kai-shek is ready to take responsibility and make reasonable reparations we would give his proposal consideration, but it appears to me that the best plan now is to hear what C. C. Wu has to say to Gauss and Davis and not to make any commitment.
Kellogg