Office of the Historian

800.48 FRP/10–1447: Telegram

The Consul General at Shanghai (Davis) to the Secretary of State

Shanghai, October 14, 1947—4 p.m.
[Received October 14—5:57 a.m.]

2420. Par 32. 1. Revised relief agreement being submitted to Foreign Office for final approval, taking into account points agreed upon with Chinese Foreign Minister and Embassy, Washington, as confirmed Deptel to Nanking 1247, October 8, repeated Shanghai as [Page 1353] 1721. Article II section (a) in this draft will follow the verbatim text in Deptel. When request for interpretation of article II section (d) is received from Chinese, response will be made along lines suggested. Assume drafting of this will be at discretion of Embassy and Acting Relief Adviser as long as sentences quoted in Deptel are incorporated in our response. Please instruct if Department desires approve in advance complete text of proposed answer to request for interpretation.

2. In accordance Par 10,89 Par 17,90 and Deptels 1105, September 491 and 1172, September 19 to Nanking, repeated Shanghai 1484 and 1592 respectively, second draft will have article I, section (a) reading as in agreements with other countries. Similarly sections (d) and (e) of this article will follow wording we proposed. Article II, sections (d), (e), and (f) will contain wording indicated respectively paragraphs 5, 6, and 7 of Deptel 1172. Article III sections (c) and (d) will incorporate changes requested by Chinese. Article V (b) will read as suggested. Paragraph 11, Deptel 1172 to Nanking and article IX, condition 3 will remain as originally worded.

3. Chinese now anxious to complete negotiations on basis of changes, according to Governor Chang of Central Bank. Intend, however, to press for complete and satisfactory understanding on voluntary agencies activities prior to signing the agreement, especially since implementation this part of agreement will be administered on Chinese side by officials who have not thus far participated in negotiations and who may be reluctant to accept approach envisaged paragraph 2 (c), Par 2592 unless they are bound by a prior commitment.

4. Unless instructed to contrary, assume agreement is to be signed by Ambassador Stuart on behalf of the United States and by Premier Chang Chun on behalf of China.93

Sent Department repeated Nanking.

Davis
  1. Telegram No. 2053, August 26, 11 a.m., p. 1341.↩
  2. Telegram No. 1917, September 13, 11 a.m., p. 1342.↩
  3. See footnote 70, p. 1341.↩
  4. Telegram No. 2343, October 3, 3 p.m., from the Consul General at Shanghai, p. 1350.↩
  5. The agreement was signed on behalf of China by Dr. Liu Shih-shun, Political Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩