793.94/2785a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in France (Shaw)
575. For Ambassador Dawes: Herewith is a brief statement of this Government’s position in directing you to proceed to Paris, and you may use it, so far as you in your discretion deem it advisable, in explaining your position to Briand, as follows:
You have been directed by me to go to Paris in order to discuss with the representatives of the various nations meeting there the crisis which has developed over Manchuria. In doing this, however, it is necessary to keep clearly and constantly in mind the difference between this Government’s treaty obligations and those of the other Governments meeting in Paris with you. The United States, as a signatory of the Kellogg Pact and also of the Nine-Power Treaty of 1922, is keenly interested in having a settlement by pacific means of the present controversy in Manchuria and in having the sovereignty, independence, and territorial and administrative integrity of China (Manchuria being a part) respected. It has been hoped here that at this meeting in Paris a solution of these objectives might be found through discussion and conciliation, and that your presence there might prove helpful. The other states meeting in Paris are interested not only as signatories of the two treaties cited, but also as signatories of the League of Nations Covenant. These other nations have assumed under this Covenant certain rights and obligations to which this Government is not a party. As members of the League, China and Japan have covenanted that the machinery provided for in the [Page 505] Covenant’s various articles should be invoked by the other signatories under certain circumstances, but the United States, not being a signatory, has no right or obligation to Japan or China respecting the invocation of such machinery. At this Paris meeting it is quite possible that the subject of invoking this machinery may come up for discussion or determination. While supporting earnestly the objective of the other states, namely, the preservation of peace in Manchuria, and while not desiring to interfere in any way with the discussion or action of the other states in regard to matters forming a part of the League Covenant, the United States cannot participate in such discussion or determination nor submit itself to possible misconstruction in this respect. This Government must and will reserve in full its freedom of judgment and action as to any situation which may develop hereafter in consequence of the conduct of the other states members of the League. In view of this situation it is important for you in exercising your duties in Paris not only to confine your conferences to subjects within the purview of United States treaty rights and obligations, but also to avoid carefully any possible misconstruction and misrepresentation concerning the scope of your actions. This Government is most earnestly interested in our mutual objective of peace and desires to cooperate earnestly with these other states in supporting their objective. This it will do, but on account of the fundamental differences in the obligations the treaties impose, as well as their enforcement methods, it is necessary for this Government to proceed by its path independently and without confusion.