Office of the Historian

893.515/698: Telegram

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

Peiping, August 3, 1935—5 p.m.
[Received August 5—4:54 a.m.]

396. Following from Shanghai:

[1.]
“August 2, 1 p.m. Substance of Department’s telegram No. 224, July 24 [29], 3 p.m. made known personally to T. V. Soong. In paraphrase he stated that ‘I know the United States had made no commitment, but I do hope that it will favorably consider the suggestion of the British Government.’
[2.]
In explanation he said in substance that he could not see from the American point of view any disadvantage in sending an expert who might be able to influence events and at the same time retain his liberty of action. Politically for both China and Japan the abstention of the United States must certainly be interpreted as emphasizing the hopelessness of any Anglo-American cooperation in working for peace in the Far East. In making this statement he emphasized that he realized full well that former Secretary Stimson’s21 policy had almost invariably been left in the lurch by Great Britain but he felt convinced that the British are now fully aware of the consequences of the policy of drift which they have hitherto followed and are anxious to secure American cooperation in the Far East.
3.
He did not state any reason for being convinced that the British had ceased to continue the policy of drift except for the retirement of Sir John Simon as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
4.
Soong stated that he had sent personal cables to the Chinese Ambassador at Moscow and Alfred Sze at Washington and that this message I delivered was probably a reply to one of his personal messages”.

Johnson
  1. Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of State from 1929 to 1933.↩