793.94/9752
Memorandum by the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck)
| Conversation: | The Secretary of State; |
| The Chinese Ambassador, Dr. C. T. Wang. | |
| Present: Mr. Hornbeck. |
The Chinese Ambassador called at noon today at his own request.
The Secretary opened the conversation with the statement that the China situation is apparently becoming worse. The Ambassador [Page 4] expressed concurrence in that view. The Secretary mentioned news which has been received of the dropping of a shell on the American flagship U.S.S. Augusta.7 The Ambassador said that he had seen news of this. The Secretary asked questions regarding the location in the river of the Augusta and the nearest Japanese vessels. The Ambassador answered the questions apparently with accurate knowledge of the situation.
The Ambassador then said that he had come under instructions to inform the Secretary of moves which China has in contemplation: China is thinking (1) of appealing to the League of Nations, and in that connection the Foreign Office wishes to know whether the American Government, although not a member of the League, would give support; and (2) of invoking the Nine Power Treaty, in which connection the Foreign Office wishes to know whether the United States, the treaty having been negotiated in Washington, would call for a consultation among the signatory powers. There followed some observations with regard to the implications and possibilities of such procedures. The Secretary made no commitment.
The Secretary then reverted to the subject of the location of American and Japanese naval vessels at Shanghai, and it was established that the Augusta is located at a point south of Soochow Creek and off the Bund. The Secretary then talked of agreements and practices on the basis of which it has been understood that the International Settlement area is one supposed to be immune from military operations, a place where security would prevail. The Secretary emphasized the importance of respect for its status as such. The Secretary said that the Chinese authorities had suddenly ordered our ships to separate themselves by five miles from the Japanese ships. The Ambassador stated that he did not know of this. The Secretary referred the question to Mr. Hornbeck. Mr. Hornbeck explained that we had been informed that the Chinese authorities had asked that our ships either move to somewhere five nautical miles distant from the Japanese ships or prevail on the Japanese ships to move away from our ships to such a distance.8 There followed some discussion of the impossibility as a practical matter of compliance with such a request.
The Ambassador then reverted to the subject of a Chinese appeal to the League and for an invocation of the Nine Power Treaty. He said that he was instructed to get an indication of the American Government’s reaction. He said that his Government wished to consult us before acting, as it did not want to put us in an embarrassing [Page 5] position and did not want to invite a rebuff. He said that for his Government formally to make the request and to meet with a refusal would have, if it became known, a very unfortunate effect, a very unfortunate reaction in China. The Secretary indicated assent. The Secretary then spoke of the statement of policy which he had made on July 169 and asked whether that would not more than cover the subject. The Ambassador said that it did, so far as principle was concerned, but what his Government was now seeking was action. The Secretary asked whether Mr. Hornbeck would wish to make any comments or ask any questions. Mr. Hornbeck said that it would seem that what the Chinese Government was seeking was not so much an “invocation of the Nine Power Treaty” as something in the nature of consultation and conference on the part of the powers which happen to be signatories to the Nine Power Treaty. He wondered what the Chinese Government might have in mind for an agenda. He wondered what the Chinese Government would estimate likely to be the concrete effect of action such as it was suggesting. The Ambassador said that it would be for the powers concerned to make up the agenda, and the Chinese Government might contribute to the making. He said that one effect at the outset might be moral effect. He repeated that he was desirous of having the American Government’s reaction. He expressly inquired whether he might call again tomorrow. The Secretary said that we would take the matter under consideration and would keep the problem in mind and as soon as we had anything to tell the Ambassador would let him know.
The Secretary and the Ambassador then exchanged expressions of serious solicitude over the gravity of the situation, and the conversation there ended.