Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1933, The Far East, Volume III

811.113/244

Memorandum by Mr. Joseph C. Green, of the Division of Western European Affairs, of a Conversation With the Chinese Minister (Sze)

[Washington,] February 23, 1933.

Dr. Sze called this afternoon to inquire in regard to the status of the arms embargo resolution now pending in Congress.¹⁶ He stated that press despatches published in China made it appear that any embargo in connection with the Manchurian situation, proclaimed in pursuance of the resolution now pending, would necessarily have to apply equally to Japan and China. The Foreign Office, he said, was disturbed by this report and had telegraphed him asking for full information.

Dr. Sze reviewed at length in chronological order the recent Presidential messages, action by Congressional committees and action by the Senate in regard to the extension of the power of the Executive in the matter of arms embargoes. He asked me to correct him if he was in error in his understanding of these developments and of the present situation. He had evidently made a careful study of the whole matter and it was not necessary for me to correct him in any particular.

Dr. Sze showed special interest in the memorandum which the Secretary left with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House on February 8, 1933.¹⁷ He evidently assumed that the difficulties in Manchuria fell into the category of cases described in Paragraph Second (b), i.e., “a situation in which as a result of investigation and consultation on a large scale there was a clear definition agreed upon by all the cooperating powers that one side or the other was the aggressor”. He quoted the text from memory almost verbatim. I made no comment on his assumption.

Dr. Sze stated before he left that he was about to send a telegram to his Foreign Office covering the points included in his statement to me.

J[oseph] C. G[reen]

16. See vol. i, section entitled “Efforts to Secure from Congress Authority for the President to Prohibit the Export of Arms and Munitions from the united States Under Certain Conditions.”
17. See telegram No. 67, February 13, 6 p.m., to the American delegate to the Disarmament Conference, vol. i, section entitled “The Conference for the Reduction and Limitation of Armaments.”