393.1153/32
The Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs (Chengting T. Wang) to the American Minister in China (MacMurray)87
Excellency: Under date of July 30, 1928, the United States Consul General in Shanghai, Mr. Edwin S. Cunningham, transmitted to the Commissioner for Foreign Affairs of Kiangsu, in Shanghai, Your Excellency’s communication addressed to me and dated two days earlier,88 with respect to the occupation of American property by National soldiers and other persons under the jurisdiction of the National Government.
Your Excellency cited instances of continued occupation in Nanking, Hsuchow, Shunteh and Tsining, and expressed the opinion that in such cases “American property has been treated as if it were that of an enemy country at war with China, rather than as the private property of the nationals of a friendly country, the full protection of which is an elementary responsibility of the governmental authorities of China.” Your Excellency added:
“The continued retention of American property in many places and its fresh occupation in others, especially the continued occupation [Page 253] and abuse of the American Consulate at Nanking, has created a very unfavorable impression throughout the world and has painfully disappointed the American Government. As a consequence of this situation, I have been directed by the Secretary of State to make strong representations in this connection and to inform Your Excellency that it is expected that, in evidence of the good faith and political competence of the Nationalist Government, no more American properties will be occupied and that such as are already occupied will be restored to those rightfully entitled to possession and free use.”
In reply I am happy to inform Your Excellency that, as regards American properties situated in Nanking, all were, without exception, prior to the National Holiday on October 10, 1928, evacuated and returned to their owners.
As regards those in Shunteh, Tsining, and Hsuchow, the same have likewise long before this date all been evacuated and returned. In addition, all cases of occupation reported from other sources have been similarly dealt with, and in the possible event of any properties being still retained, due measures have been devised to ensure their prompt evacuation. At the same time, inquiries have been instituted to ascertain whether any other property had been occupied and not been reported, so that steps might be adopted to have the same evacuated and returned promptly.
While rejoicing with Your Excellency in the fact that the occupied American properties, mentioned in your communication under reply, have been practically evacuated and returned in their entirety, I cannot refrain from observing the lack of complete sympathy which had urged Your Excellency to question the good faith and political competence of the National Government. The American properties under discussion, as Your Excellency is fully aware, had been occupied either at the time of military operations undertaken for the unification of the country or after the close of such operations but before conditions could conveniently return to anything like normalcy—that is, when the facilities for the accommodation of government offices were not other [wise] available. In brief, the situation was abnormal, and such occupation of American properties, though deeply regrettable in itself, deserves to be viewed with the utmost sympathy. The National Government is gratified, as Your Excellency has pointed out, that “the American Government has throughout displayed the greatest forbearance in these matters, not desiring by over-insistence upon its rights to hinder the efforts at reunification of China”. In the circumstances, it is the expectation of the National Government that the American Government will further forbear and trust to the good faith and political competence of the National Government to discharge its obligations as soon as the situation becomes stabilized. Fortunately, however, the [Page 254] former state of confusion is being gradually replaced by normalcy, and the occupied American properties have now been almost entirely evacuated and returned.
I avail myself [etc.]