893.51/5096: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (MacMurray)
414. Your 818, November 8, 7 p.m. and 871, Dec[ember] 12, 6 p.m. At your discretion if and when you deem opportune you may send a note with text substantially as follows:
“I have the honor to refer to my note of October 19, 1928, in which reference was made to the intention of the Nationalist Government to issue a short term loan secured upon a certain portion of the customs revenue and to the existence of a continuing obligation on the part of the Chinese authorities to ensure the payment of the obligations due to the American creditors, and to state that reports have reached me that suggestions are being made that Nationalist Government should hypothecate certain specified portions of hitherto unpledged revenues from the customs for the payment of certain designated foreign obligations hitherto not enjoying such security. In this situation, under instructions from my Government, [Page 538] I have the honor to request an assurance that any policy which may be adopted by the Nationalist Government in relation to obligations due to foreign creditors will not either in principle or in practice result in any discrimination against the interests of American creditors.”10
- A note in these terms was addressed by the Minister in China to the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Dec. 27, 1928 (893.51/5116).↩