893.00/13794: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Johnson)9
84. 1. This afternoon the Counselor of the British Embassy called at the Department and left an aide-mémoire stating that it has occurred to the British Government that if Chang Hsueh-liang could be assured of his own personal safety he might be persuaded to release Chiang Kai-shek: that for instance Chang might be removed by air to Shanghai or to Tientsin whence he could leave China; and that possibly there could be made locally arrangements to this effect. The British Government inquires whether the American Government would cooperate and states that the British Government is also taking the matter up with the Japanese, French and Italian Governments. The aide-mémoire concludes with the statement that the British Government are only offering their good offices in the hope that they might be of assistance in the carrying out of any arrangements which may be reached by the parties and that they do not propose any intervention in negotiations that may be taking place.
2. Please confer with your British colleague, discuss the practicability and expediency of action on the line suggested, make no commitment on behalf of your Government, and report promptly with your comments. In your conversation with your British colleague, you should discuss not only possible advantages and possible disadvantages and difficulties which would attend procedure such as the British Government suggests but any possibility of measures whereby foreign governments might contribute helpfully and without impropriety toward averting tragic developments and further political disturbance potential within the Sian situation.
- Notation by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs: “Approved in principle by the Acting Secretary and the President.”↩