711.933/155: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Paraphrase]
Peiping, October 17, 1929—10
p.m.
[Received October 17—2:45 p.m.]
[Received October 17—2:45 p.m.]
901. Supplementing my 900, October 17, 9 p.m., replying to your 329, October 11, 11 a.m.
- (1)
- Apart even from the precarious political situation which meanwhile has arisen, the suggestions made in your 329, I venture to submit, would not, as a matter of tactics, strengthen the United States in the position it took in its note dated August 10, but, on the contrary, would render that position untenable in practice. I feel warranted, from our experience with “tariff autonomy”, an analogous question, in believing that, if the United States should invite China to formal negotiations at Washington concerning extraterritoriality, on the sole assumption or condition that the Chinese have taken into consideration the views we set forth in our note dated August 10, the political, psychological, and practical effect of the invitation would be for the Chinese to consider that the United States Government had committed itself unconditionally to arrange, independently of the other powers interested, for the complete and early surrender of American extraterritorial rights. If the negotiations did not promptly lead to an abandonment of the previous American position (namely), that the United States must retain these rights pending evidence by China of its ability to administer justice in respect of American citizens), then the United States would seem to the Chinese to have failed in realizing the hopes held out to them by us; and the United States in such case would, by reason of its assumption of independent leadership in this matter, bear the entire odium of obstructing and disappointing Chinese aspirations regarding extraterritoriality.
- (2)
- Before undertaking negotiations, the United States should, in my own judgment require from the Chinese a statement of their proposals such as would enable the United States to avoid the dilemma either of surrendering its whole position or of placing itself in a conspicuously invidious light through breaking off the negotiations.
MacMurray