704.9394/1
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton)
| Participants: | Mr. Wilson;20 |
| The Chinese Ambassador, Dr. Chengting T. Wang. | |
| Present: | Mr. Hamilton. |
Mr. Wilson asked the Chinese Ambassador to call.
Mr. Wilson referred to the question put informally and confidentially by Mr. Tsui21 on December 10 whether, in the event that it should become necessary for the Chinese Government to withdraw from Japan and Japanese possessions its diplomatic and consular representatives, the American Government would be prepared to instruct its representatives in those areas to assume charge of Chinese interests. Mr. Wilson said that under normal conditions we would of course be glad to undertake such a charge on behalf of the Chinese Government. He said that we had discussed the matter with the Secretary and that there had been raised during that discussion certain practical questions which we thought warranted consideration. Mr. Wilson said that we wished to bring those practical questions to the attention of the Ambassador for the Chinese Government’s consideration. Mr. Wilson continued that in case there should be set up in a part of China a regime which should call itself the government of China and which would be recognized by Japan, what position would the American Government be in should this new regime send diplomatic and consular representatives to Japan. We could of course assume charge of Chinese interests in Japan only with the assent of the Japanese Government. If the Japanese Government should recognize another government as the government of China, there would be raised the awkward but very practical question as to what disposition the American Government should make of Chinese government buildings, archives, monies, etc., which had been turned over to its charge. Mr. Wilson said that we had no precedent in a case of this sort but that it was the opinion of our Legal Adviser22 that we would have no alternative but to turn the properties and archives entrusted to us over to the Chinese government recognized by Japan. Mr. Wilson said that there were also other practical considerations which presumably would have to be worked out, such as the handling of expenses.
[Page 804]In reply to a question the Ambassador said that he did not know how many Chinese nationals there were in the Japanese Empire.
During the course of the conversation the Ambassador said that the telegram which the Embassy had received from the Chinese Foreign Minister did not indicate whether a withdrawal by China of its diplomatic and consular representatives from Japan would accompany, would follow, or would precede a declaration of war. He said that he thought that the Chinese Foreign Minister was merely trying to envisage and prepare for all possible contingencies and eventualities and that the Chinese Government might not decide that it should withdraw its diplomatic and consular representatives from Japan.
He said that he would refer the questions mentioned by Mr. Wilson to the Chinese Government for its consideration.