793.94/5819a
Statement Made by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hornbeck) to the Chinese Appointed Minister (Sze) on January 16, 1933
In connection with the Shanhaikwan incident, China’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs handed to the American Consul General at Nanking on January 10 a memorandum,5 texts of which it is believed were also handed to representatives of the other signatories of the Protocol of 1901, calling attention to events at Shanhaikwan and making reference to the Protocol of 1901. The Vice Minister stated that the Chinese Government wished to make to the signatories of the Protocol the suggestion that they make representations to the Japanese Government to dissuade it from abuse of privileges which it might attempt to claim under the provisions of the Protocol. In connection with this matter, note has been taken of the statements in the memorandum and the statement made informally by the Vice Minister. In so far as the Shanhaikwan incident is concerned, it is the view of the Department that the events at Shanhaikwan must be regarded as incidents of the conflict between China and Japan and do not flow from or rest on provisions of the Protocol of 1901. If there take place developments which involve the provisions of that Protocol, consideration will be given to those developments in the light of the rights and obligations for which provision is made therein.