893.102S/2472: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 20—7:15 a.m.]
145. Following is Foreign Office translation supplied Embassy today of statement issued by Chinese Foreign Minister April 19 concerning establishment of Provisional Council in International Settlement, Shanghai.
“At a meeting held on April 17, the foreign ratepayers in the International Settlement at Shanghai adopted a resolution, in accordance with which the present Municipal Council should be replaced by a ‘Provisional Council’ to be composed of 16 members, namely, 4 Chinese, 3 British, 3 Americans, 3 Japanese, 1 German, 1 Swiss, and 1 Dutch.
Prior to the adoption of this resolution, the British and the United States Government[s] had been in touch with the Chinese Government and had endeavored to secure its consent to the suggested scheme. Throughout the negotiations that ensued, the Chinese Government, not unmindful of the difficulties confronting the authorities of the powers concerned in Shanghai, evidence[d] its readiness to go as far out of its way as it could to help tide over the present situation. It was in this spirit of cooperation that the Chinese Government proposed that the Chinese members of the ‘Provisional Council’ should be chosen from among the Chinese Councilors already lawfully elected by the Chinese Ratepayers Association and that the arrangement under contemplation should be limited to a short duration.
These proposals, reasonable and conciliatory as they were, failed of acceptance by the governments concerned. The Chinese Government is therefore obliged not to associate itself with the plan embodied in the resolution referred to above and desires it to be known that neither the setting up of the ‘Provisional Council’ nor the modification of any clauses of the land regulations has received the approval of this Government.”
Sent to Department, repeated to Peiping, Shanghai.