793.94 Shanghai Round Table/2: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan (Neville)
119. Your 125, March [May] 13, 10 p.m., and Department’s 114, May 20, 6 p.m.30
1. The Department realizes that there may be basis for the apprehension expressed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs that there may be further civil war in China and possible increase in the Communist movement; and Department realizes that it is desirable that there be [Page 41] frank exchanges of views between the governments concerned in relation to the question of security.
The Department doubts, however, whether such developments in China, if and when, will require changes in the defense plan for Shanghai which has been in force since the spring of 1927 and for the purposes of which the interested powers have since that time maintained military contingents at Shanghai. Moreover, the Department feels that an effort along the line now proposed by the Japanese, to hold a conference of five powers with the Chinese excluded to make plans and possibly an agreement with regard to Shanghai, would increase the danger at Shanghai to the foreign settlements and foreign interests, including Japanese, and would intensify the present bitterness of the Chinese and cause it to become generally anti-foreign.
2. The Department is of the opinion that if and when a conference is held, it would be essential that China be represented. Exclusion of China might lead to suspicion and repercussions in China against foreign powers.
3. Department doubts whether it would be advisable with whatever composition to hold conference in Tokyo.
4. Assuming that these questions be disposed of satisfactorily, the Department is of the opinion that, as to agenda, the conference should be prepared to consider all outstanding issues in the present Sino-Japanese controversy wherein there are involved or affected multilateral rights and interests.
5. The above is for your information. The Department understands that the British Foreign Office is in agreement with its views as expressed above and that the British Ambassador has received or will receive instructions along the same general lines. You should keep in touch with your British colleague but should make no reply as yet to the Japanese Foreign Minister pending the receipt of further instructions as to the time and form of the reply.
- Latter not printed.↩