793.94 Commission/763: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 25—3:40 a.m.]
86. Following from Consul General [at] Nanking:
“January 24, 8 p.m. On January 24, 7 p.m. Ingram called and showed me report of statement made to him this morning by Hsu Mo and confirmed by Lo Wen-kan. Substance follows:
Now that conciliation by the League seems to be failure and it becomes probable that the Assembly will proceed from paragraph 3 to paragraph 4 of article 15 the Chinese Government thinks it is desirable to give a clear understanding of its position. China believes that it is no longer necessary to pay such heed to Japan’s susceptibilities as during past stage.
Paragraph 4 requires that the Council make a report and recommendations. In the report of facts China will not be satisfied unless Japanese aggression and the methods employed in creating Manchukuo are condemned. In the recommendations China insists that there shall be restoration of sovereign rights of China over Manchuria and a confirmation of the final paragraph of the preamble to the Assembly Resolution of March 11 last, that is, nonrecognition of any [result?] brought about by means contrary to the Covenant or the Paris Pact. It is the hope of China that the report thus drafted will be agreed to unanimously by the Council and paragraph 6 will then come into force. But China thinks it only right to state that if report is not agreed to the position of China with respect to [Page 129] the League will be materially changed and the disappointment of the Chinese also at the failure of the League may compel the Chinese Government to withdraw therefrom.
Ingram understands that Vice-Minister Liu has been instructed to deliver this notification to other interested Legations, American Legation perhaps included but he suggested that you might be interested in this information regarding developments nevertheless.”