793.94/4821: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 18—6:14 a.m.]
- 1.
- When the League Commission arrived here on March 14th my colleagues and I had already arranged for the commencement of discussions [Page 599] between the Japanese and Chinese. Lord Lytton was present when my colleagues and I had our usual meeting on the 15th and offered to assist in any way that might be acceptable to us. We discussed among ourselves the suggestion that we invite Lytton to be present with us at the negotiations between the Chinese and Japanese. This suggestion was never carried out, however, for the reason that we subsequently agreed it would be better to have the Commission as a kind of court of appeal in case the discussions in our presence should become deadlocked.
- 2.
- Last night an intimation was conveyed through Lytton’s Secretary to Lampson that the Commission would
like to have us inquire of the League whether it would permit the
Commission to remain in Shanghai for a while to assist in these
local negotiations. As a result the following telegram has been
despatched by the British Minister to his Foreign Office with the
concurrence of Lord Lytton.
“My colleagues and I would be glad to learn whether in the event of the move appearing opportune to us and with the concurrence of both parties, the Special Committee appointed under the resolution of March 11th would be prepared to authorize the Commission of Inquiry to delay their departure from Shanghai in order to assist in any way that might at given moment seem appropriate to us in the present negotiations respecting cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Japanese troops.
Could this be ascertained through Secretary General of the League?”