893.01 Provisional/14
The Department of State to the British Embassy
Aide-Mémoire
The Government of the United States has given attentive consideration to the British Embassy’s aide-mémoire of December 16 in which reference is made to reports that the Japanese intend to recognize the regime recently set up in Peiping and in which there is raised the question of the possible withdrawal from Peiping by governments not recognizing the new regime of diplomatic officers and of the withdrawal by those governments of their military contingents in north China.
The initial reaction of the Government of the United States is that it would be premature to take action in the immediate future along the line indicated in regard either to the maintenance of diplomatic officers at Peiping or to the maintenance of military contingents in north China. Among the reasons in support of this view may be mentioned [Page 817] the following: (a) withdrawal of these establishments at this time would be likely to be misconstrued, to the disadvantage of the countries which ally in the light of the recent attacks upon American and British vessels in the Yangtze River; (b) continued maintenance of these establishments would serve as indication that the concerned governments are not prepared to give countenance to the creation in China of puppet administrations in consequence of or by Japanese military action; (c) the Government of the United States and other governments have in the past not discontinued their diplomatic establishments at Peiping at times when there has been functioning in Peiping a government not recognized by the powers as a de jure government; and (d) the legality of the rights accruing under the Boxer Protocol of 1901 to the United States, Great Britain and certain other governments in reference to the establishing of a legation quarter at Peiping and the maintenance of military contingents in north China would not appear to be terminated or in any way qualified by the setting up of a new régime in Peiping which claims to be the government of China.
The setting up of a new régime in Peiping represents only one phase in a situation and it would seem inadvisable to make moves of the character under discussion until the situation has unfolded farther. At the same time, the Government of the United States realizes that both of the questions raised in the British Embassy’s aide-mémoire should be kept constantly in mind and that action in regard to one or both may become expedient at some future and perhaps not remote date. It is the desire of the Government of the United States to continue to keep in close touch with the British Government in regard to these matters.
The Department of State has just received a telegram from the American Ambassador at Tokyo37 reporting that on December 17 the Japanese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs stated to the British Ambassador categorically that the Japanese Government has no present intention of recognizing the so-called provisional government in north China.
- No. 654, December 18, 11 a.m., not printed.↩