793.003/232: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Perkins) to the Secretary of State
1204. Legation’s 1200, December 29, 2 p.m.
1. At meeting today of interested Heads of Legation, British Minister stated that he had received the following telegram from the Minister of Foreign Affairs:
“I believe the time has arrived for our to [two?] Governments to enter into detailed negotiations with reference to agreeing on a plan for carrying the abolition of extraterritoriality into effect to our mutual satisfaction. I therefore request Your Excellency to proceed to Nanking at once for the purpose of initiating such negotiations and concluding them in a few days. Chengting T. Wang, December 29th.”
French Minister and Dutch Chargé d’Affaires had received similar telegrams.
2. British Minister said that in view of the uncompromising character of the mandate issued by the Chinese Government, he was in some doubt whether he should leave for Nanking as planned but that he probably should do so. (Legation’s 1197, December 28, 2 p.m.)
Dutch Chargé d’Affaires was of the opinion that his Government would not be inclined to send him to Nanking for this purpose in the near future.
French Minister stated that he could no longer postpone going to Nanking in connection with the conclusion of the treaty relating to Indochina, but that he had no intention of taking up extraterritoriality matters in response to this invitation as the position of the French Government was that the Chinese must first make concrete proposals.
Representative of Japanese Legation [stated?] he could not make any definite statement as to when his Government might be able to take up treaty matters: the Chinese were now attempting to bargain about the appointment of Obata as Japanese Minister, Chinese indicating their willingness to accept him provided that Japanese Mission was made an Embassy.
3. I have received no telegram from Wang regarding extraterritoriality matters.
- Telegram in two sections.↩