893.515/552: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 1—7:55 a.m.]
88. Department’s telegram No. 99, April 3, 5 p.m., and subsequent telegrams regarding British economic attaché. T. V. Soong requested my interest in obtaining appointment of a similar economic attaché expressing the opinion that presence of such attaché in China would facilitate discussion leading to definite proposal for international financial assistance to China. I stated to Mr. Soong that I had not been convinced that the assignment of such an attaché was necessary but that I would inform you of his interest. Soong asked about present state of British suggestion of international financial assistance and I said that I believed governments concerned were waiting concrete proposal from Chinese side. I inferred Chinese have as yet no concrete proposal to make but that Soong’s interest in the matter of such financial assistance continues.
In a conversation which I had with Suma yesterday the latter stated emphatically that Japan was not interested in direct financial assistance to China believing that any loan at the present time along lines of administrative loan of 1912 would be of no value. He was equally emphatic regarding any loan for purposes of currency reform, expressing the opinion that under present conditions China was not in position to make currency reform effective.