793.003/487: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 23—7:38 a.m.]
1076. Legation’s 1073, December 22, 10 p.m. Following sent Minister at Nanking:
“December 23, 1 p.m. [Paraphrase.] It is the opinion of all the interested Ministers here that the recent memorandum from the Chinese must be taken seriously and that it is intended by the Chinese, when the indicated period expires, to force the extraterritoriality issue both by taking advantage of such incidents as may be practicable and by acts of provocation in fiscal matters, etc. On December 21, I am informed, Ingram was told in very plain terms by C. T. Wang that his Government had considered the matter fully and that it was believed by the Chinese that world public opinion would be entirely sympathetic to them, in spite of the legal position of the treaty powers being technically correct. The Department informed. [End paraphrase.]”