Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States, 1930, Volume II

793.003/241: Telegram

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

Peiping , January 2, 1930—6 p.m.
[Received January 3—11:10 a.m.³⁷]

7. Legation’s 1200, December 29, 2 p.m.,³⁸ paragraph 1.

1. French Minister has sent me text of protest which his Government is making today with respect to the Chinese Government’s mandate of December 28 regarding extraterritoriality.³⁹ Note states that the French rights derive from treaties which are still in force and the revision of which can be made only by mutual consent in accordance with the treaty of 1858.⁴⁰ Any attempt to annul these rights by unilateral action contravenes both international law and the stipulations of the treaties. French Government does not doubt that the Chinese Government will abstain from any act infringing the guaranties which protect French persons and property but reserves its liberty of action with regard to the defense of its treaty rights.

2. Danish Minister has also sent me text of a note which he is transmitting today under instructions of his Government. Note concludes with the statement that the Danish Government holds that the mandate in question is applicable to Danish subjects in China only after China has come to an agreement for the abolition of extraterritoriality with all the powers signatory of the Washington treaties.⁴¹

3. Italian Minister has informed me that he is addressing a note similar to that sent by the Danish Minister.

4. British Minister has suggested to his Government that it make a reservation in some form with regard to the mandate but he has as yet received no information in this regard.

5. Since the texts of the above notes are of some length I shall not telegraph them unless the Department so directs.

Perkins

37. Telegram in two sections.
38. Foreign Relations, 1929, vol. ii, p. 667.
39. See telegram of December 28, 1929, from the Consul at Nanking, ibid., p. 666; also memorandum from the French Embassy, December 30, 1929, ibid., p. 670.
40. Sino-French treaty signed at Tientsin, June 27, 1858, British and Foreign State Papers, vol. li, p. 637.
41. Signed at Washington Conference, February 6, 1922; Foreign Relations, 1922, vol. i, pp. 276 ff.