893.50A/104
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 11.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my despatch No. 958 Political dated July 13, 1934 in which I discussed the League project for technical assistance to China as the matter stood at that time, with special [Page 409] reference to Dr. Rajchman’s activities in this regard. I am now in a position to report more recent trends in the League’s handling of this question through information obtained direct from the competent League authorities. I shall report this information in the form in which I received it.
In the course of a recent conversation Mr. Avenol, Secretary-General of the League, told me that during the summer he had stated to Dr. Rajchman that from an administrative point of view it would not be possible for him to continue his services with the Chinese Government and at the same time retain his position as an official of the League and that, upon being presented with this choice, Dr. Rajchman elected to remain as Director of the Health Section of the League Secretariat.
It will be recalled that the one-year term of Dr. Rajchman’s employment by the Chinese Government expired on August 1. It will be seen from this that the question naturally arose during the summer concerning Dr. Rajchman’s future functions and that the question was in effect whether Dr. Rajchman would seek the renewal of his appointment by the Chinese Government.
In response to my inquiry whether it was contemplated that a successor to Dr. Rajchman would be appointed, Mr. Avenol said that Dr. Rajchman in the character of his interest in China was unique and that the place he had created for himself in respect to the relations between the League and China was by the same token likewise unique. Thus in a sense it might be considered that the question of a successor for Dr. Rajchman did not arise. Respecting any specific details regarding the more general question of technical assistance to China on the part of the League, Mr. Avenol referred me to Mr. Haas, Chief of the Communications and Transit Section of the League, who is the Secretariat official charged with this matter.
In a conversation with Mr. Haas that followed my conversation with Mr. Avenol, Mr. Haas confirmed what Mr. Avenol had said to me regarding Dr. Rajchman and the position which Dr. Rajchman had filled.
Mr. Haas further informed me that a meeting of the Council Committee on Technical Assistance to China would in all probability be held during the Council sessions in September. He expressed as his belief that the meeting of this Committee would not take place until toward the end of the Assembly, inasmuch as he felt it to be desirable that an opportunity be afforded for informal exchanges of opinion between the representatives of the states most interested in this phase of the League’s relations to China before the date of the Committee meeting.
It will be recalled that at the last meeting of the Council Committee in May Dr. Rajchman’s report was referred to the pertinent organs of [Page 410] the League for study and for the formulating of observations or recommendations. Mr. Haas stated that on the agenda of the September meeting of the Committee would undoubtedly be the results of these studies on the part of the League organs which would be forwarded to the Committee through the agency of the Secretary-General. I will say parenthetically at this point with special regard to those portions of my despatch under reference which dealt with the financial phases of the question involved, that in a recent conversation with Mr. Loveday, Director of the Financial Section of the League Secretariat, he told me that he did not believe that the Financial Section would prepare any material for the Committee.
I inquired of Mr. Haas whether the question of a possible successor to Dr. Rajchman would also be on the agenda of the meeting or, if the matter was not placed on the agenda in precisely that form, whether the question would not arise as to what substitute arrangements would be made to care for the work which Dr. Rajchman had been performing. Mr. Haas stated in reply that while this question would probably not appear on the agenda in any concrete form, the question might indeed arise in the meeting as to the best method of liaison to be established between Geneva and China in this endeavor.
With respect to the foregoing it will be recalled that in my despatch under reference I discussed at considerable length the political forces which seemed to be in play both respecting Dr. Rajchman himself and this entire matter of the League’s relations to China. While the circumstances that Dr. Rajchman could perhaps not well continue to serve the Chinese Government and retain indefinitely the particular post which he holds in the League Secretariat is probably sound from an administrative point of view, it is impossible to escape the conclusion that political influences were definitely at work which motivated the decisions which apparently have been taken in regard to these questions on the part of the Secretary-General and on the part of what perhaps may be considered to be the League itself. I am unable, nevertheless, to determine with any precision at this juncture just what these influences were and the reasons for their being brought to bear. One here can only read between the lines, observe trends, and draw inferences. I think it can be said in any event that the decision of Dr. Rajchman as related to me by the Secretary-General was not a voluntary one on the part of Dr. Rajchman nor that it is an expression of his personal desires.
It will further be recalled that in my despatch under reference I also discussed the underlying purpose and the ultimate aim of the League’s endeavors in this connection respecting China in contrast to technical assistance per se, that is, these purposes and aims as seen by Dr. Rajchman and likewise as seen by a number of League [Page 411] officials. In brief, these purposes and aims were that the program of technical assistance to China would serve to keep alive an interest in China in the western world in a psychological sense and also a practical interest through developments in finance and trade. The result sought was that these activities would serve the end of developing progressive diplomatic support for China in the international field with a consequent strengthening of the international and national position of China’s central government.
In respect of this, I must report that there was no hint of any such League purpose in my conversations with Mr. Avenol and with Mr. Haas. In fact, quite the contrary was the case. The whole atmosphere of the conversations was almost precisely that which Mr. Avenol had displayed to me in a previous conversation on this subject before Dr. Rajchman returned to Geneva, a conversation which I reported in my telegram No. 61 dated April 28, 11 a.m.88 I cannot express too strongly my impression of a decided intent to denude this League endeavor, insofar as may be possible, of any political connotations which might be offensive to Japan or embarrassing to any important government, notably perhaps the British. I may add, however, that this policy possesses a decidedly reasonable basis in that the plan of technical assistance was placed in effect before the Sino-Japanese conflict, which latter indeed gave it the political significance which it possesses in the eyes of Japan.
As related to the questions which I have discussed above, I may add that I inquired of Mr. Haas what progress Dr. Rajchman had made in his conversations with various European governments. It may be recalled that I stated in my despatch under reference that at that time Dr. Rajchman was on the point of leaving Geneva to visit a number of European capitals for the purpose of ascertaining to what extent they were prepared to support the League projects for assistance to China and that he had the intention of pointing out to these governments the advantages which might accrue to them in the field of trade should the position of the Chinese Government be strengthened. In reply to my inquiry Mr. Haas told me that Dr. Rajchman had visited only a very few capitals and that he had made no particular progress. From what I know of the situation here, I am inclined to believe that Dr. Rajchman was summoned to return to Geneva in the early stages of his trip and that from that point on he ceased to deal with Chinese affairs.
In conclusion I may say that there is a rumor current in Geneva to the effect that Mr. Haas himself would like to succeed Dr. Rajchman and is in fact seeking this post. In this connection I may say that in [Page 412] the conversations which I have described Mr. Haas was not as definite as Mr. Avenol in that no successor would be appointed to Dr. Rajchman. Whether there is any truth in this rumor or not or whether the apparent attitude of Mr. Haas toward this matter has any bearing on the question, I am unable to say. This might, however, merely be in line with a possible plan to return to the arrangement before Dr. Rajchman’s appointment, whereby directors of the technical organizations of the League visited China periodically to give advice in the field and to keep the League informed of technical developments. It might easily be that Mr. Haas would be designated to visit China in such a capacity, without in carrying out this function being accorded any particular title.
Furthermore, Mr. Yokoyama, the Japanese representative here, told me recently with evident satisfaction that he had heard that Dr. Rajchman would not only not be permitted to return to China but that he believed that his association with the League in any capacity would shortly terminate. To what extent Mr. Yokoyama’s statement to me was merely an expression of his wishes I cannot say. It is not to be questioned but that the Japanese would like to see Dr. Rajchman leave Geneva. And I likewise have a very strong belief that the Japanese played an important, if indirect, part in the decisions taken by the League Secretariat as I have discussed them. I may add that Mr. Yokoyama, in telling me what I have just related, also took occasion to impress upon me that should Dr. Rajchman leave the Secretariat his successor as Director of the Health Section would undoubtedly be Dr. Boudreau, a member of the Section, who is an American national.
Respectfully yours,