711.933/269
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Dawes)
Sir: Referring to the Department’s instruction No. 244, of January 29, 1930,94 and to previous correspondence, there is enclosed, for the information of the Ambassador, a copy of a memorandum of a conversation between the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs and the Chinese Minister on February 13, 1930,95 in reference to the Chinese Government’s proposal for the abolition of extraterritoriality.
It is believed that the Embassy will find this memorandum of interest in connection with recent telegraphic correspondence between the Department and the Embassy in relation to inquiries made by the British Foreign Office with regard to the position of the American Government. It will be observed that in the conversation of which this memorandum was a record, as in previous conversations of officers of the Department with the Chinese Minister, the endeavor was made to make it clear to the Minister that it cannot be expected that the American Government will enter into an agreement with the Chinese Government which would in effect place American nationals and interests in a less favored position in China than is accorded by China to the nationals and interests of any other country.
Referring particularly to the paragraphs of pages 4 and 5 of this memorandum in which mention is made of the query whether it would not be advantageous “if China could arrange to have a conference whereby all of the negotiating could be done at the same place and at the same time”, it should be understood that this query was made not with a view to suggesting that a conference as such would be the best procedure, but with a view to causing the Minister to realize that the subject under discussion between him and the Department is regarded by the Department as one in connection with which the interests of the United States, and therefore the objectives, are not dissimilar to or independent of the interests of the other foreign Powers which have negotiated with China or which are negotiating with China. Also, it was intended in this connection that the Minister be made to realize that the inconveniences and delays attendant upon the present negotiations between China and the United States are due in part to the fact that these negotiations are being conducted in Washington, on the initiative and at the request of the Chinese Government, rather than in China.
I am [etc.]