Office of the Historian

893.01 Provisional/32: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart), at Peiping

Washington, February 19, 1938—1 p.m.

51. Reference Department’s 400, December 15, 7 p.m.51 The Department has received an aide-mémoire from the British Embassy52 transmitting information from the British Foreign Office on the subject of calls on representatives of the provisional government at Peiping and on territorial officials. In summary, it is stated that the British Embassy, Peiping, is being instructed to the effect that the exchange of visits on a personal and informal basis should be restricted to consular officers; that as representations to the provisional government would in view of the non-recognition of that government have to be conducted through a consular officer, this procedure would not seem likely to affect the protection of British interests more particularly because representations would in most cases be made through the Japanese Embassy.

With regard to invitations to functions, the British Government considers that they should as a general rule be refused, but in special circumstances and where other missions favor similar action, there might be no objection to consular officers attending. In conclusion, it is stated that the British Government appreciates that as all the officers of our Embassy staff hold diplomatic rank it would not be practicable to draw the same distinction as the British do, but the hope is expressed that this Government will see its way to instruct its Embassy to adopt a procedure more or less identical, e. g., that calls limited as above be received and returned by subordinate officers and not by the senior diplomatic officer. A similar approach, it is added, is also being made to the French Government.

Keeping in mind the basic principle involved, as set forth in the Department’s instruction under reference, to the effect that there should be avoided action or attitude that might be construed as carrying any degree of official recognition of the new régime, and in view of the desirability of the principally interested Governments following procedures more or less identical in regard to matters of protocol, the Department suggests that you consult with your British and French colleagues with regard to the British proposal outlined above and give the Department the benefit of your views and suggestions.

Welles
  1. Foreign Relations, 1937, vol. iii, p. 811.↩
  2. Dated February 14, p. 87.↩