893.811/847: Telegram

The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

463. 1. Referring to Legation’s despatch No. 1430, March 11, 1932, concerning Hai Ho Conservancy Commission, it appears that the Legations of the interested powers have received notes from the Minister for Foreign Affairs similar or identic to Foreign Office note number 413 of February 11, 1932,31 copy of which was forwarded to the Department with above-cited despatch. The Spanish Minister, as the Dean of Diplomatic Corps, suggests that the various Legations reply in the same sense and recommends the following which was prepared by the British Legation.

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2. “The question of the conservancy of the river system of the Province of Hopeh is a complicated one, involving technical problems of the greatest difficulty. I am advised, however, that, while the work of the Hai Ho Conservancy Commission has been hampered by causes which are beyond its control, the engineering services it has since its conception performed on the river below Tientsin have been of the greatest benefit to the trade and prosperity of that port. The retention of the Commission in its present form appears therefore prima facie to be desirable, and I am of the opinion that any question of its reorganization, or any consideration of the wider problems of conservancy of the rivers of the province as a whole should wait until the political situation is more stable, and more particularly, till the effects of the remedial measure now being carried out by the Hai Ho Improvement Commission shall have made themselves felt”.

3. I am in accord with the British draft and request authority to reply in similar terms.

For the Minister:
Perkins
  1. Not printed.