Office of the Historian

793.003/626: Telegram

The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

[Paraphrase]
Nanking, April 27, 1931—4 p.m.
[Received April 27—9:30 a.m.]

Department’s 27, April 25, noon, to the Consul General at Nanking.

(1)
The contents I today communicated to Lampson who remarked that the American stand coincides with his attitude on the reservation of the four port areas and on the 10-year term.
[Here follows report of a conversation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs based on memorandum of April 27, 1931, printed supra.]
(4)
Teichman and Hsu Mo have had a further discussion regarding the agreed texts, and I am promised copies soon. Teichman has [Page 813] preliminarily discussed the article on personal status matters and also has discussed the article with reference to the right of residence and trade. He finds the Chinese not willing to agree to open up the country. The Chinese attitude in this regard will, we surmise, be conditional upon the attitude of powers which hold concessions and leased areas.
(5)
Lampson and I believe we will find the Chinese in a less negotiable frame of mind following May 5. Lampson has informed his Government accordingly and with this idea in mind intends to press matters here.
Johnson