Office of the Historian

893.00/12205

Memorandum by the Minister in China (Johnson)86

Peiping, November 3, 1932.
  • Mr. Garrido, Spanish Minister
  • Mr. Wilden, French Minister
  • Mr. Yano, Japanese Chargé d’Affaires
  • Mr. Ingram, British Chargé d’Affaires
  • Mr. Johnson, American Minister

At the request of Mr. Garrido, Spanish Minister and Senior Minister, I met at the Spanish Legation with the above named colleagues and we discussed a telegram received from the Senior Consul at Chefoo stating that the Consular Body and foreigners at Chefoo were disturbed by a report that in the settlement of the difficulties between Han Fu-chu, Chairman of the Government of the province of Shantung, and General Liu Chen-nien, the troops of the latter were to be embarked at Chefoo for the south; and requesting that the Diplomatic Body urge the Chinese authorities not to permit the defeated troops of Liu to return to Chefoo lest the latter place suffer.

I stated that I was somewhat diffident about making joint or identic representations of this character which might be interpreted as interference in the domestic affairs of the Chinese. The other colleagues agreed with me and it was suggested by the French Minister that we should take some action in the matter and that we might word the representations in such way as not to mention particular troops, but merely state that we hoped the Chinese Government would take steps to divert all troops from Chefoo.

Mr. Ingram offered the suggestion that the representations be made quite general, without mentioning soldiers, simply asking that in any steps taken to liquidate present situation care be taken to protect foreign life and property. I favored Mr. Ingram’s suggestion and drafted a telegram which was adopted. The text used was as follows:

“I would be very grateful to Your Excellency if in any disposition for the liquidation of the unfortunate situation now existing in the [Page 543] neighborhood of the Treaty Port of Chefoo careful consideration be given to the protection of foreign lives and property.”

Nelson Trusler Johnson
  1. Copy transmitted to the Department by the Minister in his despatch No. 1804, November 8; received December 5.↩