Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1932, The Far East, Volume III

793.94/5077: Telegram

The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Acting Secretary of State

Shanghai, April 21, 1932—2 p.m.
[Received April 21—5:10 a.m.]

1. British Minister tells me he [learns?] confidentially from Geneva that the Committee was induced to adopt paragraph 11 of the resolution by the fact that the Japanese delegate had informed President Hymans in confidence that the Japanese Government would be willing to interpret annex 4 as giving the Joint Commission power to declare by majority vote when it considered time for withdrawal of Japanese forces had arrived.

2. Neither Sir Miles nor I have been able to gather from recent conversations with the Japanese Minister that his Government had expressed itself in that sense although admitted that he was not as yet fully informed of all that had passed between Tokyo and Geneva.

3. Sir Miles requests me to ascertain whether, in the event that the Japanese Government should accept this interpretation of annex 4, the American Government felt that the Joint Commission should be asked to assume the responsibility of stating when the time for Japanese withdrawal had come.

4. Minister Johnson returns tomorrow.

Repeated to Geneva.

For the Minister:

Engert