893.01 Manchuria/65

Memorandum by the Secretary of State

The Belgian Ambassador said that his Government had received an invitation from the new Manchurian State to recognize it, and asked me whether we had received one and what we were going to do. I told the Ambassador that we had received one and we did not intend to recognize it. I pointed out to him Article 2 of the Nine-Power Treaty and said that, for myself, I was inclined to think that that Article must be very carefully considered before we recognize the new Manchurian State for it would seem, at first hand, to be a promise on our part, and by each of the other signatories of the Nine-Power Treaty, not to make such a recognition in such a case as was presented in Manchuria. The Ambassador said he was very much interested because his country was also a signatory to the Nine-Power Treaty.

H[enry] L. S[timson]