893.506/38: Telegram
The Ambassador in China ( Johnson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 9—7 a.m.]
235. Department’s instruction No. 111 of March 9 concerning new Chinese insurance law. Counselor Peck conferred with representatives of American insurance companies at Shanghai on April 30. They indicated a hope that the Chinese legislation might be so modified and guided as to make it possible for American insurance companies to register and otherwise conduct their business in China in [Page 652] conformity with Chinese law and with the approval of the Chinese authorities without, however, waiving their legal position as extraterritorial persons. They did not think that necessity existed for any action by the Embassy for the time being but they hoped that the Embassy would be authorized to present to the Foreign Office at an opportune time written representations expressing the views of the Embassy and transmitting as from the American insurance companies a memorandum drafted by those companies setting forth features which would be desirable in Chinese legislation controlling insurance business. I respectfully suggest that the Department authorize the Embassy to act in this way.