Office of the Historian

711.93/186: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (MacMurray)

Washington, July 13, 1928—noon.

221. Department’s 218, July 11, 11 a.m. Department has just received following communication, dated July 11.

[Here follows text of a communication from C. C. Wu, the Special Representative of the Chinese Nationalist Government, printed on page 415.]

This morning Sze81 called upon me and left with me a copy of the declaration made on July 7 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nationalist Government,82 concerning the question of new treaties between China and the powers, containing the following:

  • “First. All the unequal treaties between the Republic of China and other countries, which have already expired, shall be ipso facto abrogated, and new treaties shall be concluded.
  • Second. The Nationalist Government will immediately take steps to terminate, in accordance with proper procedure, those unequal treaties which have not yet expired, and conclude new treaties.
  • Third. In the case of old treaties which have already expired, but which have not yet been replaced by new treaties, the Nationalist Government will promulgate appropriate interim regulations to meet the exigency of such situation.”

[Paraphrase.] Considering that it is necessary to make some reply to both of these communications, it is desired that the Chinese Ministry for Foreign Affairs be informed by you that the Department has received from C. C. Wu the above communication, as well as the declaration communicated by Sze, and that you inform the Minister of Foreign Affairs that you are prepared to open with him discussions along the lines of the authorization set forth in the Department’s telegram number 202 of June 23, 3 p.m., paragraphs 1, 2, 3, [Page 460] and 4. When this communication has been made by you, you should inform the Department in order that it may proceed in the manner indicated in the final paragraph of Department’s number 218. Your colleagues at Peking should be notified also. [End paraphrase.]

Kellogg
  1. Sao-Ke Alfred Sze, Chinese Minister at Washington.↩
  2. For full text of declaration, see note of July 13, 1928, from the Chinese Legation, p. 416.↩