793.94/2480: Telegram
The Consul General at Nanking (Peck) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 5, 1931—7:10 a.m.]
99. The following handed to me November 4, 6 p.m., by the Chinese Foreign Office, understood also released to the press:
“Mr. Tsiang Tso-ping, Chinese Minister at Tokyo, was instructed on November 3d by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to deliver a note to the Japanese Foreign Office in reply to its note of October 31 regarding the evacuation of occupied places in Manchuria. An English translation of the note which was prepared in Chinese follows:
[‘]I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Japanese Government’s note of October 31 and, under instructions from my Government, to make the following reply. The resolution of October 24 of the Council of the League of Nations calling upon Japan to withdraw completely before November 16 her troops now in occupation of the different places in the North Eastern Provinces in China, was adopted unanimously by 13 members of the Council. Chinese Government is confident that the Japanese Government will respect the pronounced intention of the world’s supreme organ for the maintenance of peace by carrying out the said resolution. It must also be pointed out that, inasmuch as Japan fully accepted the Council’s resolution of September 30, the League of Nations had believed that the Japanese Government would have immediately begun the withdrawal of troops and completed such withdrawal within 2 weeks. However, the Japanese Government failed to carry out this resolution. The Council was therefore obliged on October 24, to reiterate the previous resolution and again set time limit in order to accomplish the rest operation [restoration?] of the status quo ante. The Chinese Government, in accordance with the resolution of the Council, has invited the Japanese Government to designate representatives to discuss the details of evacuation and reoccupation. The Chinese Government is gratified to learn that the Japanese Government has also expressed its willingness, towards the end of its note under reply, to start immediately the discussion of such details. The Chinese Government has already appointed a committee for the reoccupation of evacuated territories and informed the Japanese Government to that effect. The Chinese Government again requests the Japanese Government to appoint representatives immediately to discuss the above-mentioned details with the Chinese representative with a view to the complete evacuation of the occupied areas before November 16. As regards the Japanese Government’s view of the opening of negotiations concerning fundamental principles for reestablishing the normal relations between China and Japan, the Chinese Government is fully prepared, in accordance with the recommendations of the Council of the League of Nations, to commence negotiations, after completion of evacuation, on the questions outstanding between the two countries and to establish a conciliation commission of some such permanent machinery. But before the completion of the evacuation, the negotiations must be limited to the details of evacuation and reoccupation. Finally the Chinese Government wishes to refer the Japanese Government to its communication of October 31 to the League of Nations, in which its views regarding this matter are clearly set forth.[’]”