793.94/5821
The Chinese Mimstry of Foreign Affairs to the Chinese Legation48
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received two telegrams from Marshal Chang Hsiao-liang, dated January 17 and 22 respectively, reporting that Brigadier-General Ho Chu-Kuo had received two overtures from the English Naval Commander and the manager of the Kai-Luan Coal Mine, an Englishman, offering to bring the Chinese and the Japanese military commands now at Shanhaikwan together to negotiate peace under the good office of the English. On one occasion [Page 124] it was known that the English Naval Commander was acting under orders from London while on the other occasion upon the request of the Japanese.
Brigadier-General Ho, on both occasions, declared that any negotiations between China and Japan should be entered into through the Central Government at Nanking and that no negotiation for a settlement of the Shanhaikwan affair could be undertaken until the Japanese had withdrawn from Shanhaikwan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, upon receipt of these reports, immediately instructed Brigadier-General Ho that he should not enter into any negotiation with the Japanese, directly or under the good office of the English, because the Chinese Government had declared on January 24 that the Shanhaikwan affair is integrally related to the whole issue of Japanese invasion of the Three Eastern Provinces and therefore cannot be settled as a local affair.
- Copy of summary of two telegrams transmitted to the Department by the Chinese Legation on January 24.↩