793.003/687: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 19—9:20 a.m.]
Department’s 36, May 8, 7 p.m., to Nanking. I have discussed with Lampson the question of the advisability at this time of negotiating with China a consular convention, and Lampson has referred the matter to the British Government. Both he and his Government feel it would not be opportune at this time to inject this question into the extraterritorial negotiations. I concur with the British Government’s view that consular functions are protected by the provisions of article 19 in the proposed treaty in regard to provisions of existing treaties. The British Government expects this subject to be taken up in connection with a commercial treaty when the present treaty has been disposed of. A draft of a commercial treaty was presented some 2 years ago by the British Government to the Chinese Foreign Office. Negotiations did not, however, begin, for the Chinese brought up at that time the extraterritoriality question.