793.94/9883
The Chinese Embassy to the Department of State
The Chinese Government notes with gratification the reiteration by the Honorable Cordell Hull, Secretary of State, in his statement of August 23, 1937,79 of the fact that the general principles of policy [Page 491] enunciated in his statement of July 16, 1937,80 which the Chinese Government has unreservedly accepted, should effectively govern international relationships and should be applicable throughout the world. Due note is also taken of the appeal of the Secretary of State to China and Japan to refrain from resort to war and to settle differences in accordance with principles which in the opinion not alone of the American people but of practically all peoples of the world should govern in international relationships.
Traditionally it has been the foreign policy of the Chinese Government to settle all international controversies by pacific means. Soon after the outbreak of the incident in Lukouchiao on July 7, 1937, the Chinese Government made in vain several attempts to effect a peaceful settlement of the incident. In a Memorandum under date July 15, 1937, addressed to the leading Powers, it was made clear that while China was obliged to employ all the means at her disposal to defend her territory and national honor and existence, she nevertheless held herself in readiness to settle her differences with Japan by any of the pacific means known in international law and treaties. In a note to the Secretary of State on August 12, 1937, the Chinese Ambassador again took occasion to point out that the stand of the Chinese Government as to the issue with Japan remained the same as that stated in the Memorandum of July 15, 1937. Even in a recent move to seek a peaceful solution, the Chinese Government accepted in principle the British proposal for the cessation of hostilities in Shanghai, if Japan would accept the same.
It is to be noted that China has never attempted to resort to war, but to resist foreign aggressions in defence of her territory and national honor and existence. She is ready as ever to settle whatever differences she may have with Japan in accordance with the principles of international law and practice. It is the sincere conviction of the Chinese Government that the relationships among the nations can be best governed by the realization and fulfillment of the noble principles enunciated and reiterated by Secretary of State Hull, and that the realization and fulfillment of these principles can only be attained by the full cooperation of all the countries.