493.11/1628: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 16—9:10 a.m.]
Your 102, March 16, 6 p.m. The British Minister having received instructions to assent to postponement for 1 year of payment of British Boxer Indemnities share with certain reservations and provided we do likewise, I have under date of April 14th addressed a note to the Chinese Foreign Office to the effect that the Chinese proposal has been given careful and sympathetic consideration and that the United States Government was desirous of assisting as far as practicable. But I pointed out the serious consequences even a temporary suspension of payments might have for the cultural work supported by the American share. I then referred by name to the various educational and scientific institutions, numbers dependent under these funds, and concluded as follows:
“In view of the foregoing I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that while the Government is not disposed to raise any objection to the postponement of payments of the American share of the Boxer Indemnity for 1 year from March 1, 1932, and I am directed to request that the Chinese Government give assurances that the principal cultural objects mentioned above to which these payments are devoted will not be permitted to suffer complete interruption and that in any event the acquiescence of my Government in this instance is not to be considered as a precedent.”
Full text by mail.69 Copy to the British Minister.
- Not printed.↩