793.94/3138: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Shaw) to the Secretary of State
864. From Ambassador Dawes: Your 640, December 8, 11 p.m. Drummond explains the situation as follows:
He understands that Dr. Wellington Koo invited the American, British, and French Ministers to see him after the situation in regard to Chinchow became dangerous and told them that he was considering whether or not to suggest the withdrawal from Chinchow of Chinese troops to south of the Great Wall, on condition Japan should give satisfactory guarantees to the American, British, and French Governments, and provided arrangements be made for the continuance of Chinese administration in the areas evacuated. Should the three Governments favor such a scheme, Dr. Koo then would be prepared to make an offer definitely. The French Minister at Nanking telegraphed this Koo proposal to Paris and Tokyo. Paris regarded the proposal with considerable interest and told their Ambassador in Japan—though there still is considerable obscurity on this point—to take up the question with the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs. Therefore, the French Ambassador went to see Baron Shidehara and stated that he had under instruction of his Government to bring to his attention the Koo proposal. The British Ambassador, who at first had said he had no instructions in this connection, associated himself with the French démarche upon learning of his colleague’s action under authority from his home Government. Shidehara was interested very much in the French Ambassador’s statement on the Koo proposal and responded that he accepted it in principle but had certain counterproposals to put forward, among which was one that Japan, while unwilling to give guarantees to the three powers named, was prepared to guarantee to the League Council that Japanese troops would not be permitted to penetrate into the neutral zone. Drummond believes it to be quite clear from the foregoing that Shidehara, thinking that Koo had made a definite offer, acted in perfect good faith and utilized this offer, so Drummond understands, with the military extremists for the purpose of pressing them not to proceed farther toward Chinchow.
However, Drummond understands the position has now been explained to the Japanese Government, which appreciates the misunderstanding in the matter, yet the effect of it upon Japanese public opinion remains great and it is of course almost impossible for Shidehara to explain satisfactorily to the military authorities, for they hold him at fault.
[Page 653]Indeed, Briand did initiate negotiations to see if the Japanese might possibly give a guarantee to the League Council such as they offered in a form to justify the Council in urging upon the Chinese that they undertake direct negotiations with the Japanese. Not until after Briand and the Japanese had exchanged notes and the suggestion had been made that the neutral zone have a northern limit, which the Council did not feel it could urge upon the Chinese, did Briand decide this morning that to press for further negotiations would not be worth while.
From the above statement by Drummond it is apparent that Briand is in no position, in view of the circumstances, to censure the Japanese Government, but the situation has been explained to them in full. [Dawes.]
- Telegram in three sections.↩