793.003/731: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Shanghai (Cunnningham)
[Paraphrase]
Washington, June 16, 1931—5
p.m.
For the Minister: Your June 13, 11 a.m., from Shanghai.
- (1)
- The Department wishes you to telegraph the full text, or important sentences, of C. T. Wang’s formal note proposing transfer to Nanking of the negotiations.
- (2)
- With reference to Dr. Wang’s request in his personal note to Peck, it is desired by the Department that you go back to Nanking and give Wang a chance to indicate what he has in mind.
- (3)
- Points to guide you: The Department thinks it advisable to proceed slowly in this connection because of diplomatic considerations and in view of the Chinese domestic political and administrative situation. While realizing the probability that we will not be able to conclude a better treaty as to substance than the British, the Department finds the arrangements agreed to between Lampson and Wang to be in their entirety not such as the Department would wish to duplicate. In relation to the American treaty the Department would not wish to have any unpublished notes or agreed minutes. In certain provisions for reciprocity the Department cannot parallel the Lampson-Wang text. The apparently complicated provisions as to Hankow and Canton are not viewed with favor by the Department, which also feels that at a number of points greater precision is desirable. It is the Department’s wish to avoid any move which might allow Dr. Wang to bring pressure to bear upon the British Foreign Office to give its approval hastily. The Department itself does not intend to be rushed. It therefore feels that we should avoid appearing to approve the Wang-Lampson text and should continue to stand aside and to persevere in the course which we have taken during recent weeks. The Department furthermore believes it would be advantageous to all concerned for the treaty discussion at Nanking to be suspended for a few weeks. This would enable you to be absent as you had planned (your June 11, 3 p.m., from Shanghai69) and would leave C. T. Wang free to concentrate his attention elsewhere.
- (4)
- Hence the Department desires you to say to Dr. Wang that it requests him to instruct the Chinese Legation in Washington to continue its work on the draft with the Department, as Weigh and Jacobs have been doing. It should be explained by you that there are being submitted currently to our law officers the alterations in our drafts as made by Jacobs on the basis of his conferences with Weigh and that the result will be telegraphed you for your consideration when the draft has been completed with exception of the reserved areas. C. T. Wang probably will tell you what he and Lampson have agreed upon ad referendum. You should say to him that you will report to the Department and that, since doubtless some time will be required for consideration at Washington of the whole set-up, you desire to proceed to Peiping for a few weeks and are requesting the Department’s permission to do this.
- (5)
- The Department wishes to have your comments on its views expressed in the foregoing and on the remarks made by Dr. Wang when you see him.
Stimson
- Not printed.↩