793.94 Commission/174: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham)
143. For the Minister. The Navy Department sends us a copy of a telegram from Admiral Taylor stating that a request has been made by General McCoy that the U.S.S. Asheville be made available to McCoy and Wellington Koo and members of the latter’s staff for transportation from Tientsin to Dairen.66 Admiral Taylor recommends that this be not done. The Navy Department refers the question to us.
[Page 696]Department’s views, communicated to Navy Department with understanding that we will communicate them to you for communication by you to Admiral Taylor, are as follows:
Lord Lytton’s Commission is an instrument of the League of Nations. It is visiting China and Japan. It would seem that the Chinese and/or the Japanese Governments should be able to provide transportation and ensure safety of the Commission between Tientsin and whatever point the Commission desires to reach in Manchuria. If such is not the case, it would seem that other governments which are members of the League should assume those responsibilities. It is not perceived that a useful purpose would be served by having ships of several different nationalities carry the various members of the Commission simultaneously between identical points. The American Government and its agencies wish to do their part toward facilitating the work of the Commission as a whole, but this Government feels that the granting of General McCoy’s present request, in reference to the American member and the Chinese assessor only, would be inadvisable and without sufficient warrant. Finally, it is believed that a request for such special facilities in connection with the work or movements of the Commission, if made, should be made either by the Secretariat of the League or by the Commission as a whole and formally.
Please communicate the above to Admiral Taylor and request that its whole substance be communicated to McCoy.
It is believed that you might also to advantage yourself communicate these views to McCoy.