893.00/9783
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (MacMurray)65
Sir: The British Ambassador called to see me on March 1 and inquired if I did not think things were very slowly mending a little in China. I told him that I thought there was some evidence of their settling down.
In discussing the arms embargo I told Sir Esme that I thought that if all the countries would enforce strictly an embargo on the shipment of arms and ammunition to China, it would bring about the end of the fighting there in a short time. I pointed out that the [Page 302] Ministers in Peking had discussed this matter and had recommended to their Governments that the embargo should be strengthened.
I said that I thought the Ministers at Peking ought to discuss the whole embargo question and to make strong representations to their Governments in regard to it but that, unless the non-signatory Powers would join in the arrangement, I did not see how it could be made very effective.
Sir Esme brought up in this connection the matter of Russia’s position. I told him that I understood that the Japanese Government had suggested that it would approach the Russian Ambassador at Tokyo in regard to this matter, but that I did not know what had been done in this regard.
I am [etc.]
- The same instruction was sent April 3 to the Ambassador in Great Britain (No. 1372) and to the Ambassador in Japan (No. 351).↩