793.00/166
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Johnson)
On June 30 the Chinese Minister called upon the Secretary by appointment to discuss with him the contents of his note of June 25.73 The Chinese Minister stated, among other things, that he had been advised informally by his Foreign Office, although he had not been authorized to make official representations to this effect, that while that Government had desired greatly that a conference be called to consider the question of treaty revision it was realized that such a conference could not take place at any early date. He stated to the Secretary that this had come to him as a result of a telegraphic inquiry which he had made asking for some explanation of the desires of his Government as set forth in that note. He stated that his Government felt, therefore, that they should not, in striving for the greater end, lose what had already been gained by the treaties signed as the result of the Washington Conference and the resolution calling for the sending of a commission to go into the matter of extraterritoriality.
The Secretary stated that the greater question of general treaty revision involved many difficulties. He said that this Government had from the beginning desired to expedite the holding of the Customs Conference provided for by the Washington Conference treaty and the sending of the commission on extraterritoriality, but that the whole matter of the Customs Conference had been delayed pending action by France on the China treaties, while, as regards the commission on extraterritoriality, after the first postponement at China’s request, this Government had been unable to obtain any unanimity on the part of the Powers concerned as regards the fixing of the date for the sending of that commission.
[Page 769]The Chinese Minister asked whether this Government would be willing to urge upon the other interested Powers the hastening of the calling of the conference on tariff matters. The Secretary stated that we would be glad to do this. He said that he was also willing to urge the hastening of the sending of the commission on extraterritoriality. The Chinese Minister stated that he was sure that his Government would receive this information with pleasure. He pointed out, however, that the conference on tariffs, as provided for under the Nine-Power Treaty, did not in fact give to China the fiscal relief that she desired, that what was wanted was complete tariff autonomy. Mr. Johnson suggested that something might be accomplished if the instructions to the conference on tariffs could be amplified to include a request or recommendations upon which a plan for giving complete tariff autonomy might be worked out after the special tasks of the conference had been completed. The Secretary stated that this of course was a matter which would have to be taken under advisement.
The Chinese Minister also stated that the commission on extraterritoriality would be merely asked to make a report, that it did not promise to accomplish anything nor did it bind the Governments to do anything of a concrete nature. Mr. Johnson here suggested that something might be accomplished in this regard also toward meeting the desires of the Chinese, if there could be included in the instructions to the several commissioners a request that they submit with their report recommendations upon which a plan for the gradual relinquishment of extraterritoriality rights might be based. The Secretary stated that this would have to be given consideration.
On July 1 the Chinese Minister again saw the Secretary who at this time stated to him that the Chinese Government’s notes would have to be answered by the representatives of the Powers party to the Washington Conference at Peking and he stated that he was instructing the American Legation to urge upon its colleagues at Peking the hastening of the holding of the tariff conference and the early sending of the commission on extraterritoriality. He stated that we had already urged France to hasten action with regard to the treaties. The Secretary did not tell the Chinese Minister that our instructions to Peking recommended the broadening of the powers of the tariff conference or the commission on extraterritoriality to include a request for concrete recommendations leading to an eventual restoration to China of tariff autonomy and the gradual relinquishment of extraterritoriality provisions.