893.00 Nanking/114: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Paraphrase]
Peking, April 26,
1927—6 p.m.
[Received April 26—4
p.m.]
488. 1. My interested colleagues held discussions yesterday and today
regarding amendments to the proposed replies to Ch’en’s notes which have
been suggested by the Japanese Government. I understand that Japanese
Ambassador at Washington has communicated to you the Japanese
suggestions.67
2. My four interested colleagues agreed upon the following as the basis
of a joint recommendation to be sent by each to his Government:68
- “First, To inform our respective Governments of the
Japanese proposal, of their modified draft note to be
accompanied by a public declaration (to be agreed upon by
the four Ministers later), to which we agree in the hope
that it may bring America back into line. As regards the
proposed declaration, French, British, and Italian Ministers
would prefer not to make it unless Japanese Government
insist[s]; but will agree if they do so insist: the
objection being that it merely opens the whole field for
polemical discussion to Ch’en.
- Second. Even if America does not come in in response to
the present Japanese proposal, we four agree to go ahead
with the draft note as now modified.
- Third. The four Ministers being all authorized to agree to
principle of sanctions, they will immediately after the
despatch of the identic notes discuss again the question of
entering on negotiations with Chiang Kai-shek, as also that
of the application of sanctions at Hankow, in the event of
an unsatisfactory answer.”
