851.503193 Manchuria/22
The Ambassador in France (Straus) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 7.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Embassy’s despatch No. 635 of February 15, 1934,66 and to report that the French Minister for Foreign Affairs recently replied to a written question of a deputy inquiring if measures had been taken by the French Government to insure the respect of the rights of French shareholders of the “Banque Russo-Asiatique” in the Chinese Eastern Railway. The following is a translation of the reply of the Minister, which is published on page 665 of the Journal Officiel of February 23, 1934:
“As soon as it had been made aware of the conversations between the authorities of Manchuria and the Government of the U. S. S. R., the Minister for Foreign Affairs took steps with a view to safeguarding the French interests affected. Our Ambassadors in Moscow and in Tokyo were invited to recall to the Governments of Japan and the Soviets that French interests of a private character were concerned in the question. Our Minister in China communicated with the Nanking Government with respect to these démarches. Finally, our representatives accredited to the six signatory powers, with France and with Japan, of the resolution No. 13 of the Washington Conference, dated February 14 [4], 1922,67 and relative to the protection of the foreign claimants of the Chinese Eastern Railway, have received instructions to make known to the Governments to which they are respectively accredited the attitude adopted in this matter by the Government of the Republic.”
Respectfully yours,
Counselor of Embassy
- Not printed.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1922, vol. i, p. 298.↩