711.9312A/6
The Chinese Minister (
C. C. Wu
) to the
Secretary of State
Washington
, May 28, 1929.
Sir: Referring to your Department’s note of
December 21, 1928,72 transmitting for the consideration of my
Government and as a basis for negotiation the draft of a Treaty of
Arbitration between China and the United States, I have the honor to
return herewith in pursuance of instructions from my Government the
draft as amended by my Government,73 together with an explanatory note showing the
reasons for the verbal changes suggested, for your consideration.
I take this opportunity to add that I have been designated as Delegate
Plenipotentiary on the part of China with full power to sign this
Treaty.
Accept [etc.]
[Enclosure]
The Chinese Legation
to the Department of State
Explanatory Note
- I.
- The words “Permanent International Commission constituted
pursuant to the treaty signed at Washington, September 15,
1914”74 should be
substituted for “an appropriate commission of conciliation” in
Article I, paragraph I of the draft treaty, because the
above-mentioned treaty of Conciliation between China and the
United States is still in force and because the change will thus
obviate the necessity for settling the question of how “an
appropriate commission of conciliation” should be
constituted.
- II.
- The words “in the Chinese and English languages, both texts
having equal force,” should be substituted for “in the English
language” in Article III, paragraph III of the draft treaty, in
conformity with an order of the National Government, which was
based upon a recommendation of the Legislative Yuan, to the
effect that hereafter whenever China concludes treaties with
foreign countries, it should be provided in the treaties, in
regard to the interpretation of the text, that the Chinese
language should prevail, except when a third language is
stipulated as authoritative.
