Office of the Historian

793.003/769a

The Department of State to the Chinese Legation14

[Washington,] December 19, 1931.

Last summer when Dr. C. C. Wu resigned his position as Minister of China to the United States, his departure from Washington rendered it impossible to continue here the negotiations which had been going on during the period while he was here on the subject of extraterritoriality. [Page 925] The Department of State then instructed the American Minister to China to carry the matter on with the Minister for Foreign Affairs. When the call of the North caused both our Minister and Dr. Wang to desire to suspend matters during the summer vacation period, it was agreed that there would be a recess and the matter would be taken up again after Minister Johnson’s return to Nanking in the early fall. At about the time when Minister Johnson was preparing to leave Peiping for Nanking, the Manchuria incident broke. A few weeks later, shortly after Minister Johnson’s arrival in Nanking, there occurred the assault by the students on Dr. Wang. Thereafter, events in connection with Manchuria have held the whole of the stage.

A few days ago the Department instructed Minister Johnson to broach the subject to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Koo. This Minister Johnson has done. Minister Johnson reports a conversation of a rather inconclusive nature in which there was discussed the question of the practicability of resuming these negotiations now and some reference was made to the mandate which the Nanking Government had issued in May last on the subject of putting into effect Chinese jurisdiction on January 1, 1932.

In view of the now proceeding governmental changes in China we have no clear idea as to the situation. Minister Johnson has left Nanking for the holidays.

This Government is prepared to go on with the negotiations now or at any time when it suits the convenience of the Chinese Government to resume discussion of this matter. At the same time, it does not seem to us that the moment is opportune and it would seem to us advisable to let the matter continue in suspension.

  1. Statement read to the Chinese Minister on December 21, 1931.↩