893.00/8438
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Johnson)
The Chinese Minister called upon the Secretary at 12:00 o’clock today. He expressed the hope that the Secretary had enjoyed his vacation and felt restored in health. The Minister asked the Secretary [Page 87] whether he had heard anything about the appointment of a Commission by the President to visit China for the purpose of investigating conditions there. The Secretary informed the Minister that he had never heard of any such proposition. The Chinese Minister informed the Secretary that he understood that there had been considerable agitation on the part of Americans in Shanghai for an increase in American armed forces at Shanghai. The Secretary informed the Minister that he was not aware of any such agitation, that certainly nothing had come to the Department of this kind.
The Minister stated that he hoped that the Secretary would pardon his appearing to make a suggestion but he was very anxious to know whether the Secretary would not be willing to use his influence to restrain the British at Shanghai, particularly inasmuch as the British had stationed troops outside of the area of the International Settlement at Shanghai. The Secretary informed the Minister that he could not be held responsible for the activities of the British at Shanghai; that he did not see how he could discuss the question with the British as he did not know just what plans the British had for protecting their nationals in Shanghai; that, of course, they would doubtless take such steps as seemed to them necessary to protect their nationals.