793.94 Conference/373
Memorandum by the Secretary of State of a Conversation With the Chinese Ambassador (C. T. Wang)
During his call the Chinese Ambassador inquired as to the attitude of this Government towards a reconvening of the signatories of the Nine-Power Pact, to which I replied that I had not heard the matter discussed recently. The Ambassador then said that his Government would be making such a request and our Government would be expected to take the lead in the matter; that he would be glad if he could get some intimation as to what we might do. I asked him if it would not be very advisable first to consider and determine whether any accomplishment would be possible in the event of such meeting, and stated that it would be hurtful to call a meeting which would prove entirely fruitless. I said that while the delegate of this government might be chairman of the meeting (and about this I am not certain at the moment), in any event all of the signatories of the Nine-Power Pact would be consulted and all would consider the circumstances relating to the question of whether a reconvening would be advisable; that, therefore, I assumed the Chinese Government would lay its reasons before each of the signatories to the Nine-Power Pact, who in turn would among themselves give consideration to the same and the weight of opinion among them determine as to whether there should or should not be a reconvening of the Nine-Power signatories. The Ambassador then said that when the Council of the League of Nations convenes later in this month85 his Government would seek more active aid from the League Council and also from the signatories of the Nine-Power Pact; that it would strengthen that movement if this Government in the meantime should have rendered important aid to China. I made no reply but inquired what Great Britain, France, and other countries, are doing in this respect. The Ambassador replied that he did not know.