793.003/292: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham)
For the Minister as the Department’s 75. Department’s 61, February 15, 6 p.m.79
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You should frankly discuss with the British Minister the subject of “cooperation”, distinguished from either concurrent action or “united front”, as regards the problem involved. Your letter to Counselor Campbell, you will explain, stated that the Department had under [Page 385] consideration several possible plans. Negotiations in Washington, you will explain, are being slowly carried on, the Department now being engaged in studying new materials submitted recently by the Embassies of Japan and Great Britain, together with the Chinese Minister’s comments on the materials given on January 23 to him; and it will be some weeks in all probability before the Department reaches the point to submit to the Chinese Minister anything which is in the nature of a definite proposal. Also, you may state that it continues to be the opinion of the Department that frank exchanges of information and views will be advantageous to all concerned.
The Department is confidentially informed that the Chinese Minister will shortly leave Washington to attend the Conference at The Hague on International Law, beginning March 13. The Chinese Minister is being reminded by the Department that the materials submitted January 23 involve no commitment.
It is desired by the Department that you cable (a) a brief estimate of the Chinese political situation in its bearing upon whether haste or delay is desirable in regard to these negotiations, and (b) your confidential and frank opinion as to whether the transfer of negotiations from Washington to Nanking might facilitate the solution of the extraterritoriality problem, the Department having very tentatively under consideration such transfer as a possible move to be decided upon a few weeks hence.
- Not printed; it reported discussions with Great Britain.↩