Office of the Historian

793.003/233: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in China (Perkins)

[Paraphrase]
Washington, December 31, 1929—7 p.m.

439. Reference your 1200, December 29, 2 p.m.; 1204, December 30, 5 p.m.; and 1205, December 30, 6 p.m.

(1)
The Department does not regard sending of the text of the declaration to Bucknell by Dr. C. T. Wang’s personal note as officially notifying the United States Government; and the Chinese Government has not previously formally notified this Government of the intention to issue a declaration. However, the Chinese Government’s declaration having been made and published, the existence and contents thereof are noted by the United States Government. The personal note given Bucknell should receive no written acknowledgment.57
(2)
If you are confronted with inquiries, you may discreetly use the information that this Government has not entered into any agreement, nor given any encouragement to the idea, that the United States Government would assent to extraterritorial rights being abolished by the unilateral action of China. Officers of the Department have, on the contrary, explained on numerous occasions to the Chinese Minister that the United States Government can only by treaty processes surrender its treaty rights and stands on the statement which was made in the concluding paragraph of the American note dated November l.58 The Department is engaged in discussions with Dr. C. C. Wu looking toward ultimate conclusion of an agreement and anticipates these discussions continuing.
Stimson
  1. In telegram No. 10, January 3, 1930, the Chargé in China quoted a telegram of December 29 from Bucknell saying: “A personal note enclosing translation of mandate was addressed to me informally and privately by Wang in his private capacity and was acknowledged without comment last night in same manner by a private note with personal signature and no title.” (793.003/242)↩
  2. See telegram No. 958, November 4, from the Minister in China, p. 616.↩