793.003/5578/9
Memorandum by the American Minister in China (Johnson) of a Conversation With the British Minister in China (Lampson)45
I had lunch with Sir Miles today and in the course of conversation he informed me that he had telegraphed his Government in response to their request for an estimate of the situation stating that it was his opinion that he should proceed with the discussions here until they had cleared away all of the articles dealing with legal guarantees and [Page 845] possibly the preamble to the treaty and that when the point had been reached where they were in agreement on these matters it would then be time for a recess for the summer. He thought that after a summer’s rest during which the Chinese could think over their position and get the People’s Conference and the present political crisis into the background they could resume the negotiations about September with a better chance of success. Sir Miles stated that he felt that the issuance of the regulations covering the adjudication of cases involving foreigners and the mandate putting those regulations into effect on the first of January 1932 was a shrewd move on the part of the Chinese and might be considered as of advantage to us for it not only implemented some of the important guarantees for which we had been negotiating but it would prepare the minds of the Chinese for the treaty. It would put Dr. Wang in a position where he could say that the treaty merely contained provisions already the subject of domestic legislation.
Sir Miles stated that he was now waiting for his Government’s reply before deciding on his plans.
I remarked that it was a sad commentary on the whole situation that Dr. Wang Chung-hui, President of the Judicial Yuan, fountainhead of inspiration for the entire judiciary of China, author of constitutions granting protection to the life and property of citizens of China, should desert the Government and flee to the protection of a foreign settlement at the first sign of trouble.
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Minister without covering despatch; received June 11. Substance reported by the Minister in his telegram of May 9, 1931, noon, from Nanking; received May 9, 6:35 a.m. (893.00/11432)↩