711.93/214

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Johnson)

Dr. C. C. Wu called at my request and I referred to our conversation on Friday when he had asked me about the effect of adherence to the multilateral treaty renouncing war.8 I Handed to him a copy of the treaty9 and a copy of the note which we had addressed to China10 and to the other powers inviting adherence and pointed out to him that both in the treaty and in the note it was made quite clear that the multilateral treaty would go into effect at the same time both as regards signatory and adhering powers.

After some further conversation, during which Dr. Wu stated that he did not see why some of the powers were in such a hurry to adhere to the treaty, Dr. Wu asked me whether we had anything in mind with regard to some formal act of recognition. I told him we considered that the treaty which we had made with the Nationalist Government constituted de facto as well as de jure recognition, but that the Secretary had mentioned the matter to Alfred Sze and the suggestion had been made to Alfred Sze that if the Nationalist Government had any suggestions to make with regard to some formal act of recognition confirming what had already taken place through the signing of the treaty, that we would be very glad to entertain them. I told Dr. Wu that in reply C. T. Wang had said to Sze by telegraph that this matter of recognition did not need any further attention inasmuch as it had been taken care of by the treaty and therefore recognition was a fact accomplished and there was no need for Mr. Sze to trouble himself further about that. I said to Dr. Wu that this seemed to be the end of that. Dr. Wu said he had telegraphed to Nanking and had advised that they were not interested in the question of formal acts of recognition as signature to the treaty constituted recognition, that they should leave such matters or such confirmatory act until the complete revision of the treaty had taken place. I asked Dr. Wu whether Nanking had asked his advice on the subject and he said no but as a member of the Government he had a right to volunteer advice and he had done so.

[Page 197]

Dr. Wu then stated that he understood that we had asked Sze to find out from Nanking whether it had any suggestions to offer as to treaties. I asked Dr. Wu whether Mr. Sze had told him about the conversation which he had with the Secretary and Dr. Wu said that he had not talked with Mr. Sze but that he had heard through a friend of this conversation. I told Dr. Wu that we had had a conversation with Mr. Sze during which the Secretary had said to Mr. Sze that he had an open mind on the subject of treaty revision and would be prepared to consider any suggestions which the Nationalist Government might care to offer. I said that Mr. Sze had come to me on August 20 and had reported that he had telegraphed this to the Nationalist Government and had received a reply which he had some difficulty in understanding but which was generally to the effect that in view of the fact that he was about to go to Geneva and would be very busy and much occupied, and in view of the fact that C. C. Wu was here authorized to discuss treaties, he did not need to bother about that situation. Dr. Wu said he hoped we had not interpreted this as meaning that the Nanking Government was not interested in the treaties, as his remaining here every day was an indication of its interest. I said to him that I had certainly interpreted the reply as meaning that it was not immediately interested.

I asked Dr. Wu to explain to me the status of Mr. Sze. Dr. Wu said he would be frank with me and say that of course Mr. Sze had represented the Northern Government. I stopped him at this point to say that we did not recognize Sze as representing any faction in China, but as representing China and Wu continued by saying that Sze’s original credentials had been issued by a government to which they were opposed and that the new Nanking Government had offered him the post of Minister. He said that after the taking of Peiping the Nanking Government had sent a circular telegram to all of the legations and consulates ordering them to carry on as before and that, of course, was what Mr. Sze was doing at the Legation. He said he had been offered the post of Minister but had refused it, communicating his refusal first to C. T. Wang. He said that later when the offer was repeated by other members of the Government he had again refused and that the last communication which he had received was one which fell in with his point of view and stated that Sze would carry on here as Minister.

I asked then if Sze’s status was that of Chinese Minister. Dr. Wu said it was. I said that was what we had assumed and that we were prepared to discuss matters with him as Chinese Minister.

Dr. Wu asked me whether I had given any further thought to treaty revision and I said that I had not. He then said that he [Page 198] understood that full powers were on their way to him empowering him to negotiate for revision of treaties and he asked me what I was going to do when they arrived. I said that we would await that time, but I supposed that they would be presented in the usual diplomatic channels through Mr. Sze as Minister and he said that this was right. Dr. Wu asked me when the Secretary would be back and I told him some time between the tenth and the fifteenth, but I was not certain when. The conversation here ended.

September 4, 1928.

Dr. Wu called me up today by telephone to say that he was informed that the Nationalist Government of China intended to adhere to the multilateral treaty renouncing war.

N[elson] T. J[ohnson]
  1. Memorandum of conversation of August 31, not printed.
  2. For text of treaty, see vol. i, p. 153.
  3. Note not printed. It was similar in substance to note communicated to the French Government; see telegram No. 247, Aug. 8, to the Ambassador in France, vol. i, p. 136.