793.003/772: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 17—8:40 a.m.]
592. Your 319, September 9, 3 p.m.99
1. Following personal letter from C. T. Wang dated September 15th, has been communicated to me by telegraph from Peck:
“Personal. My Dear Mr. Johnson: When you were leaving Nanking last, you intimated to me that you would be back by the first part of September. As two weeks have already gone by and not knowing when you will be back, may I venture to suggest that you return to the Capital as soon as possible, as the one outstanding question between our two countries, namely, extraterritoriality, demands immediate attention. I am quite sure that you will agree with me that there is not much time to spare for an amicable and satisfactory solution before January 1st next. Moreover, your friends here are anxious to see you again. With best regards, yours very sincerely, Chengting T. Wang.”
. . . . . . .
3. [Paraphrase.] I believe we should not take advantage of the present situation by complicating matters for the British respecting Tientsin.
4. It appears to me, on the other hand, that we should not be obliged indefinitely to wait before we proceed with the negotiations we have begun and continued in good faith, if our only reason for not going on with our negotiations is that we are waiting on the British.
The Department will not wish, I believe, to make use of the unsatisfactory handling of the Thorburn case1 as a reason for our not negotiating.
5. I have not shown the Wang letter to Lampson, though I informed him of it today. It may be the Department’s wish to consider if it would not be wise to proceed with our negotiations at least by discussing various treaty details pending an agreement on article XVI between the British and us. I might visit Nanking to arrange the beginning of such discussion between Hsu Mo and Peck, as in the case of Hsu Mo and Teichjnan. I think we should not allow the discussions to grow cold, although I know that Lampson hopes for delay on our part, reinforcing thereby the British position in the Thorburn matter. Lampson did not ask this in so many words. [End paraphrase.]