393.1123 Lincheng/159a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Schurman)
118. Your telegrams 226, June 15, 6 p.m., 231, June 20, 5 p.m. are receiving careful consideration in all aspects, and instructions on the questions involved will shortly be sent you.
In the meanwhile, let me caution you against committing yourself to any phase of action until a homogen[e]ous plan can be authorized.
The suggestions concerning the settlement of outstanding problems of importance affecting all foreigners in China, such as the [Page 664] improvement of the Shanghai Harbor, the extension of the Shanghai Settlements, and the question of Mixed Courts, appear so little related to the essential purpose of the proposals now under consideration that the Department is not disposed to view with approval their incorporation therein. It is believed that any program of demands to be presented to the Chinese Government should be grounded upon principles of elementary justice whose fairness will instinctively appeal to the Chinese people, and that it would be unwise to include extraneous or debatable questions suggestive of a generally aggressive attitude or of a desire to make use of the present incident for the purpose of obtaining ulterior advantages.