031.11 American Museum of Natural History (4th Asiatic)/52: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
528. Your 219, June 28, 3 [6] p.m. No developments subsequent to those reported in the Legation’s 503, June 24, 5 p.m.,31 and previous telegrams.
Andrews early in April, in local negotiations with cultural society, as a first concession reluctantly agreed to accept a so-called Chinese [Page 850] co-director but the expedition should not proceed unless the museum should have full direction of it and control of the disposal of any fossils discovered. On the other hand, after Andrews had deadlocked with cultural society, Osborn, negotiating for the museum with Minister Wu, agreed to the expedition proceeding without prior definite arrangements in regard to disposal of fossils, trusting to favorable Nanking legislation regarding disposal of 1929 collection.
Osborn originally agreed with Andrews in this phase of the matter but altered his views, presumably as a result of representations made by Minister Wu who apparently only recently persuaded museum that 1928 collection of fossils was in jeopardy, although it had been released already under an agreement made by Andrews with cultural society of Peking in October of last year.
As reported in the Legation’s 503, June 24, 5 p.m., cultural society has adopted evasive attitude and refuses to state whether or not it will accept terms agreed to by Nationalist Government. If Ministers Wang and C. C. Wu are actually seeking to control opposition of cultural society, their efforts thus far appear utterly fruitless and the society is manifesting an increasingly unfriendly attitude.
Andrews and his associates consider situation hopeless since they are convinced that the society will block the expedition unless its terms, however reasonable, are accepted. Andrews awaits further instructions from museum.