793.94/13934: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Johnson)
259. Your 459, September 22, noon. The Counselor of the Chinese Embassy called at the Department on September 22 at the request of Ambassador Wang. He inquired whether the Government of the United States was willing to support the action of the League of Nations in invoking Article 17 of the Covenant and whether this Government would be prepared to act along parallel lines with League members to impose sanctions with the object of restraining aggressor nations and maintaining world peace. The Counselor was informed [Page 516] that our general attitude and policy with regard to matters concerning action by the League had been made clear to the Ambassador and to the Chinese Government and therefore require no elaboration now. His attention was invited to the fact that questions relating to Article 17 of the Covenant call for consideration by the League, of which the, American Government is not a member, and (with a view to indicating that until the League may have decided on its course of action there exists only a hypothetical basis for the questions which the Counselor had asked) to the further fact that the only action thus far taken by the League had been to address an invitation to Japan pursuant to Article 17.
On September 23 Ambassador Wang informed an officer of the Department that the Chinese Government hoped that the League members would take action, in accordance with the Covenant, helpful to China and believed that a confidential approach from the American Government to the British and French Governments in regard to the matter would prove helpful.