893.00/11–1445: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State 38
[Received 7:50 p.m.]
11934. We were told this morning by Sterndale Bennett39 that Sir Horace Seymour, British Ambassador in China, will shortly return to London for consultation and vacation. In giving us this information Sterndale Bennett expressed his deep concern over present Chinese situation. He said Foreign Office information was fragmentary and confused but that it did look as if China was drifting inevitably into a large-scale civil war. He felt that only possible sure way to prevent civil war would be for U. S. and U. K. to tell both factions that they must negotiate and that force would be used to see that they did so. However, he added, he was just as sure that neither American nor British Govts could possibly take such a step without being instantly disavowed by the peoples of both countries. He expressed hope that after [Page 486] consultation with Sir Horace he might be able to make more constructive suggestions.