793.94 Conference/193
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The Chinese Ambassador called to see me this morning. He said his primary purpose in coming was to renew his previous contact with me since he had not had the opportunity of seeing me since my return from my vacation.
The Ambassador then referred to the Brussels Conference and said that this Conference was a very momentous meeting insofar as his country was concerned and that he trusted that the attitude of the United States would be one which would recognize the difficult situation of his country. He said there was increasing fear on the part of his Government and country-people that the Conference might recommend some action on the part of China which would involve concessions to Japan inconsistent with China’s rights as a sovereign nation and that China could never accept any such settlement as this; that Japan was determined to persist in her aggressive policy and that China would resist to the last ditch rather than give in.
I reminded the Ambassador of public statements made by the President and by the Secretary of State and I said that only yesterday I had reiterated in my press conference that the purpose of this Government, [Page 149] in accordance with its treaty obligations, in attending the Brussels Conference was to share in the common effort to find within the provisions of the Nine Power Treaty and based upon the international principles of policy which we had repeatedly proclaimed, a pacific solution of the present hostilities in the Far East. I said that the Ambassador would find the same declaration of principle set forth elaborately in Mr. Norman Davis’ opening address at the Conference.62 The Ambassador asked me if he could have a copy of the official text of this address and I told him I would be happy to send it to him immediately.
The Ambassador spoke with some concern of the presumed attitude which Italy would adopt at the Conference. I said I had not yet had an opportunity of finding out what the Italian delegate had said in his address at the Conference and that until I saw such text, it was, of course, difficult for me to comment on Italian policy in that regard.
The Ambassador stayed only a short time, but said that he would come back to see me within a day or so since he wished to keep in the closest contact with me throughout the course of the Conference.
- For text of address of November 3, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 404.↩