711.933/84
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The French Ambassador called and handed to me the enclosed memorandum on the subject of extraterritoriality. I told him that I was hard at work on my reply in regard to extraterritoriality and expected to have it finished in two or three days and that I would let him know. His memorandum reads as follows:
“The Counselor of the Japanese Embassy in Paris informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 25th., that the Japanese Government was dissatisfied by the supposed intention of the Chinese Government to proceed by unilateral act to the pure and simple abolition of Treaties before January 1st, 1930. He asked whether, in those conditions, it would not be better, for the interested powers, to send a special identical note to the Chinese Government explaining the reasons against such procedure.
“It was replied to the Japanese diplomat that the French Government thinks that an answer upon the basis of the recommendations made in 1926 should be given as soon as possible by the Governments which received the Chinese note of April 1927 [April 27] concerning extraterritoriality.
“The French Government would see only advantages in sending a note signed by the principal interested powers. Such a note would make known the emotion created by some Chinese declarations in favor of the unilateral abrogation of Treaties.
“Such a note would also call the attention of the Nanking Government upon the duties imposed to China as well as to all civilized powers, not to try to settle by force questions of right, especially problems of a definite juridical character dealing with a statute of persons and properties.
“Such an identical note would meet with the approval of the French Government which is ready to give instructions to the French Minister in China to come to an agreement with his colleagues for the settlement of the question.
“The French Government would be pleased if the American Government would take a similar step.
“Furthermore, an identical note by the main powers would, in the opinion of the French Government, moderate activities of the nationalists who would be disposed to employ force in order to bring to an end Treaties of extraterritoriality.
“The note might also make easier the task of those of the Chinese political men who are willing to see the question settled by legal means.
“Washington, July 29th, 1929.”