793.003/81
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Johnson)
The Dutch Minister called on the Secretary this morning and communicated to him the message of his Government concerning its [Page 443] attitude on the subject of the relinquishment of extraterritorial jurisdiction in China by the Powers requested by the Secretary in his Aide-Memoire of November 22. The Minister stated that his Government felt that they should proceed with extreme caution in this matter as they did not feel that conditions in China had changed so that the Powers could relinquish their position and subject their citizens to the jurisdiction of the kind of courts which the Chinese had. He referred to the Report of the Commission on Extraterritoriality and stated that he felt that the Powers should consult together as to their plans in this matter, and that they should use that Report as a basis for any negotiations. He said that it was the opinion of his Government that the Powers should cooperate in this matter. The Secretary outlined to the Dutch Minister the replies or comments which he had received from the British Ambassador, the Italian Ambassador and the Belgian Ambassador and stated that he had not received any replies from France, Portugal, Spain or from Japan. The Secretary stated that Italy had already made an agreement regarding the question of extraterritoriality57 as also had Belgium, and he was not certain but what Japan might not relinquish it, although he did not know what position the Japanese might take. He had discovered in previous discussions with the Japanese that while they were extremely interested in the tariff situation they felt rather disposed to be somewhat lenient as regards the question of extraterritoriality, because, he supposed, the Japanese had gone through a similar situation with respect to the Powers when they had given up extraterritorial rights in Japan. The Secretary stated that he would inquire of the Japanese Ambassador as to the attitude of that country and would inform the Dutch Minister.
- Sino-Italian preliminary treaty of amity and commerce, signed Nov. 27, 1928. League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. xciii, p. 173.↩