793.003/1047: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Matthews) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 29—4:02 p.m.]
7405. I have just received the following letter from Mr. Eden dated December 29 and marked “immediate”:
[“]I am sending you in a separate letter (Embassy’s 7406, December 29, 6 p.m.30) a memorandum on the latest position in our negotiations on extraterritoriality in China. From this you will see that in order to reach early agreement and to be in a position to sign our treaty on the same day as the United States Government sign theirs we have conceded the Chinese requirements on every outstanding point but one, including certain points, such as national treatment for commerce, in respect of which we attach importance to obtaining what was no more than reciprocal treatment so far as we were concerned. Our desire has been throughout to align ourselves with the United States as closely as our differing positions allowed and to make of the signing of our treaties an Anglo-American-Chinese act of political solidarity.
Only one point remains to be settled and this, although not of our raising, is of essential importance to us. In reply to the Chinese Government’s proposal for the rendition of the ‘new territories’ at Kowloon we have, as you will see, offered a formula whereby we indicate that in our view this is a matter, if the Chinese Government wish to raise it, for discussion when victory has been won. We are unable to admit that this question falls under the head of the abrogation of extraterritoriality and we are unable to withdraw from the position which we have taken up. To do so would be to lay ourselves open to further Chinese pressure on other matters the extent of which cannot be foretold.
If as a result of this we are unable to reach the agreement with the Chinese Government on a treaty abolishing extraterritoriality [Page 415] it will obviously be highly regrettable. But we have faced this eventuality in taking our decision which is final.
The United States Government have during these negotiations shown a willingness to collaborate with us which we value highly. On our side we have done what we could to reduce to a minimum the requirements which the extent of our interests justified and have at all times endeavoured to suit our action to that of the United States Government. The question of the new territories was not, however, foreseen at the outset of our joint approach to the Chinese Government. It is not yet certain that the latter intend to press this issue to the point of a deadlock, but I should be glad if you would inform your government urgently of the position. We should be grateful if they felt able to use their influence with the Chinese Government to prevent this occurring.”
- Not printed; it submitted a summary of the British fifth revised draft and exchange of notes (793.003/1048).↩