793.94/2743: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in France (Shaw)
565. [For Ambassador Dawes:] Referring to Embassy’s No. 758, November 17, 9 p.m.
If an agreement could be brought about at any time between China and Japan as to what treaties are valid, thereby clearing up any uncertainties of interpretation, then the application of the suggestion by Simon might well be helpful in giving to Japan an additional assurance that China will respect her obligations. My opinion has always been that, instead of direct action on the part of Japan, she should be shown some substitute in order to insure China’s respect for her valid rights. It has been my belief that some way should be discovered to convince Japan that the same moral pressure would be exerted by the nations of the world upon China to insist that she live up to her obligations as is being exerted now against Japan in insisting that she use no military pressure to enforce her claims. The underlying thought of Simon appears to be in accord with this idea; but in my 560, November 17, 11 p.m., I pointed out that his plan, as stated, appeared to fail to take into consideration the vital distinction between treaties admittedly valid and those claimed always by China as invalid.