393.1154 Am 33/5: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (MacMurray)
120. Legation’s 226, April 13, 11 a.m. Having carefully considered the request made by Rodger as quoted, and having examined [Page 180] previous communications, it is the Department’s opinion that any attempted specifications are inadvisable. With reference to your contemplated reply, the first two sentences are approved by the Department. Substitute the following for the last two sentences:86
“Since the collapse of Tuan’s Administration, the American Government has not dealt with any succeeding regime as the Government of the Republic of China. The Legation has continued to have dealings in particular matters with the various regimes at Peking and has dealt with certain authorities elsewhere in China on the basis of regional jurisdiction. The Legation is not in position to make a statement substantiated by certificate of the character requested by you.”
- Quotation not paraphrased.↩