711.933/145: Telegram
The Minister in China ( MacMurray ) to the Secretary of State
856. Department’s 309, September 18 [17], 6 p.m., paragraph 4. As a result of discussions among my interested colleagues, Senior Minister has prepared the following draft which it is proposed that he should forward to the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the name of the diplomatic body:
“On behalf of my colleagues I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the notes of 17th August last which Your Excellency addressed to the Heads of Legation informing them of a decision that offices of Commissioners for Foreign Affairs at the several ports be abolished at the end of August of this year and offices of the several specially appointed Commissioners for Foreign Affairs at the end of December of this year and in which you further informed them of the enactment of the regulative procedure for the abolition of these offices.
I am desired by my colleagues, the Heads of legations, to inform Your Excellency that this Government [their Governments] are prepared, subject to full reservation of the rights under the treaties, to cooperate with the Chinese authorities with a view to bringing the new procedure into operation with a minimum of inconvenience.
Further I am desired to inform Your Excellency that it is expected that the rights of foreign plaintiffs in appellate cases now pending before the Commissioners for Foreign Affairs will not be in any way prejudiced by the new procedure and also that it must remain understood that the foreign consular officers shall continue to have the right at all times to address themselves on behalf of their nationals directly to the local territorial officials and also to the highest provincial authorities whenever occasion for doing so may arise.
[Page 679]Finally the Heads of Legation trust that with the abolition of the Commissioners for Foreign Affairs no change is contemplated in the established rule that all documents or communications emanating from the Chinese authorities and destined for the information of foreigners will be transmitted to them through the intermediary of their respective consular officers unless it is a question of documents for which foreigners concerned have applied directly to the Chinese authorities.”
2. Department’s approval is requested by telegraph.
- Telegram in two sections.↩