893.05/166: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
820. Reference Department’s 302 of September 10, 5 p.m. Following is translation of note dated September 6th from Minister for Foreign Affairs:
“I have the honor to refer to the note of August 2nd last which was addressed to me by His Excellency the Netherlands Minister in reply to my communication on the subject of the method to be adopted for the discussion and settlement of the question of the judicial organ of the International Settlement in Shanghai.
This Ministry has taken grateful cognizance of the fact that the Ministers of the powers concerned are prepared to comply with the request in my note of May [8] last and speedily arrange a proper and completely satisfactory scheme by which the question may be settled definitely and that they express the wish to receive concrete proposals such as may serve as a basis for discussion. Although there is a difference of opinion concerning the form the discussions should take, the Ministry still consider that the most satisfactory plan will be for the Central Government to meet the Ministers concerned or their representatives and discuss the matter with them direct, and, with a view to advancing matters, to request Your Excellency to appoint a representative (or representatives) to proceed to Nanking before the 23d instant (September) and open discussions with the Ministry.
As regards proposals for the reform of the judicial organ of the International Settlement, a matter which in any case need not be governed by the agreement of 1926 between the Kiangsi [Kiangsu] Provincial Government and the consular body at Shanghai, the course that recommends itself to the Chinese Government is that the unsatisfactory judicial machinery which has hitherto existed in the Shanghai Settlement should all be done away with, and that endeavors be made to establish another court altogether, free from objectionable features and adapted to the judicial system of this country, the details of the scheme being left for discussion by the delegates when they meet in conference.
[Page 696]I have the honor to request that Your Excellency will be good enough to inform me in advance of the name(s) and rank(s) of the officer(s) you are appointing, and avail, et cetera.”
- Telegram in two sections.↩