707.1161/20: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Schurman)
30. Your despatch No. 2590, November 8.57 The Department considers that the status of the Soviet representative as Dean of the Diplomatic Body cannot be ignored and that he is therefore entitled to participate in meetings of the Diplomatic Body, the scope of whose deliberations, however, it may be anticipated will henceforth be limited to matters of a purely formal or ceremonial character.
You are authorized whenever it may seem expedient to join your colleagues in conveying to the Soviet representative an intimation that you are prepared to cooperate with him in such matters as remain of general concern to the entire Diplomatic Body.
In view of the provisions of Articles III and XII of the Sino-Russian agreement of May 31, 1924,58 it would not appear necessary or appropriate that he should be admitted to participation in meetings of the foreign ministers dealing with questions of treaty rights [Page 637] such as those established by the Boxer protocol59 or with respect to extraterritoriality.
It is considered that the custody of the archives of the Diplomatic Body, with the exception of those which are concerned with the deliberations of the whole Diplomatic Body, as above referred to, should remain with the Senior Minister.