I have this afternoon received a further telegram from the Foreign Office
according to which Dr. Wang Fu49 recently informed the British
Consul-General at Nanking that reliable information had reached him from
Shanghai to the effect that the United States Government had agreed to
the establishment of Embassies at Washington
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and Peking. Dr. Wang Fu stated at the same time
that he had not heard from Washington that this step had been decided
on.
[Enclosure]
The British Embassy
to the Department of State
Aide Memoire
In their relations with the Nationalist Government in China His
Majesty’s Government are most anxious to adopt a really constructive
policy. They feel that the problem is one which must be dealt with
progressively and that they must proceed step by step. They feel
that the most urgent question at present is that of the tariff. They
are therefore dealing with that question first.
In December 1926 His Majesty’s Government declared themselves as in
favour of tariff autonomy for China.50 In these circumstances they feel that
if they were now merely to sign a tariff autonomy treaty with China
with a most favoured nation clause this would in actual fact imply
hardly any practical advance from the position at the time when
their abovementioned declaration was made. They feel too that if any
real progress towards Chinese Tariff autonomy is to be made, a
successful outcome of the negotiations now in progress between China
and Japan must first be promoted. If this could be secured the
actual coming into force of an increased Chinese tariff, after
friendly agreement, at an early date would be facilitated. This is
the immediate problem on which His Majesty’s Government are
concentrating all their energies and they are inclined to think that
it would be wiser to postpone dealing with other outstanding
questions until this most urgent tariff question, which includes de jure recognition of the Nationalist
Government, has been settled.
With regard to the appointment of Ambassadors at Peking, His
Majesty’s Government feel that it would be preferable if the
principal Powers took simultaneous action in this matter. His
Majesty’s Government themselves will not in any case make any
definite change until there has been a full and frank interchange of
views with the other interested Powers, including the United States,
Japan, France and Italy. For the present, however, they feel that
this question, while it doubtless will arise in due course, is as
yet altogether premature.
As regards the question of the extraterritorial status of foreigners
in China the United States Government will recall that on January
27th, 1927, His Majesty’s Government made a definite offer to
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the Chinese. That offer
was made by Mr. O’Malley51 to Mr. Eugene Chen52 at Hankow on January 27th, 1927, and by Mr.
Lampson53 to Dr. Wellington Koo54 at Peking on the
following day. The text of the proposal in question is given in the
appendix to this aide memoire. This offer has
been the subject of considerable discussion with the Chinese
Government and still stands on record as concrete evidence of
readiness on the part of His Majesty’s Government to continue these
discussions and to take such practical steps in agreement with the
Chinese Government as present conditions may allow. The very great
practical difficulties which attend any attempt to solve this most
difficult problem have so far prevented this offer being carried
into full effect; but His Majesty’s Government doubt whether an
international conference would provide the best method of solving
these difficulties or indeed carry matters any further than His
Majesty’s Government are already prepared to go. His Majesty’s
Government also doubt whether an international conference would be
welcome to the present rulers of China since the latter have
repeatedly made it clear that they are determined in these matters
to deal with the Powers separately.
Washington, November 22,
1928.
