793.94/6630: Telegram
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Bingham) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 30—2 p.m.]
213. My 211, April 30, 3 p.m.79 Simon answering questions in Parliament stated the principle of equal rights in China was guaranteed very explicitly by the Nine-Power Treaty of 1922 and the Government assumed that the Japanese statement of April 17th was not intended to infringe the common rights of the other powers in China. The Japanese Foreign Minister had informed the British Government that this assumption was correct and reaffirmed the policy of the “open door” in China.
In reply to further questions Sir John stated that the communication of His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs of April 25th was a friendly inquiry and was to the effect that the principle of equal rights in China was guaranteed very explicitly by the Nine-Power Treaty, to which Japan was a party, and His Majesty’s Government must of course continue to enjoy all rights in China which were common to all signatories, or otherwise [Page 149] proper, except in so far as the rights were restricted by agreement such as the consortium agreement, or in so far as Japan had special rights recognized by other powers and not shared by them. The Ambassador added that the anxiety regarding China expressed in the Japanese statement could not apply to the United Kingdom since it was the aim of British policy to avoid the dangers to peace and the integrity of China to which the statement referred. The British Government could not admit the right of Japan alone to decide whether any particular action such as the provision of technical and financial assistants promoted such danger, if that had indeed been the implication of the statement which they did not believe. In articles numbers 1 and 7 of the Nine-Power Treaty Japan had the right to call attention of other signatories to any action in China inimical to her security. That right provided Japan with safeguards and His Majesty’s Government therefore assumed that the statement was not intended in any way to infringe common rights of other powers in China, or to infringe Japan’s inter-treaty obligations.
In reply the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs indicated that His Majesty’s Government was correct in this assumption and assured His Majesty’s Ambassador that Japan would observe the provision of the Nine-Power Treaty and that the assumption of the Japanese Government and His Majesty’s Government with regard to the treaty coincided. The Japanese Foreign Minister stated in conclusion that Japan continued to attach the greatest importance to the maintenance of the “open door” in China, and reaffirmed her acceptance of that policy.
In reply to a question as to the numerous statements issued by the Tokyo press officer and various Japanese officials in Washington and Berlin, and Geneva which seemed to conflict with the latest statement of Hirota, Sir John said one must not assume that information which reaches readers of the press in every press statement is authorized.
“I think the statement made by the Japanese Foreign Minister is reasonably clear and His Majesty’s Government are content to leave this particular question where it is. I would only add that His Majesty’s Government are resolved to assist to the utmost possible extent the spirit of international cooperation in the progress of China towards peace and prosperity, and in the maintenance of the spirit of harmony and good will in the Far East.”
Official text available tomorrow will be forwarded by the pouch.82