793.003/293: Telegram
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Dawes) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received February 21—4 p.m.]
36. Department’s 41, February 19, 6 p.m., was discussed with Foreign Office today who state that on February 14, British Embassy was authorized to bring State Department to date on all main points of Lampson’s negotiations.
I gather these negotiations are at a deadlock and suspended and that Foreign Office now is considering policy to pursue. In these considerations the attitude of the Department is admittedly of the greatest importance, especially as to the main point the Department will hold out for in its negotiations on modifying the extraterritoriality status. Foreign Office points out its paramount concern as regards criminal jurisdiction and foreign [co-]judges. Yet the probability is envisaged that both these points cannot be maintained successfully with the Chinese, and Foreign Office consequently extremely concerned as to American attitude and which one of these two points in particular the Department would if expedient be ready to abandon first.
Foreign Office will authorize British Embassy to explain to the Department recent situations since February 14; I gather, with the hopes that after full understanding of Lampson’s proposals and negotiations has reached the Department some informal expression of the American viewpoint, especially along the lines I have indicated above, may be made to the British representative.