893.102S/1971
The Department of State to the British Embassy
Reference is made to an inquiry by the British Government, described in the British Embassy’s confidential communication of December 15, 1939, whether the Government of the United States would be willing to share, to the extent of pounds sterling 100,000, in a joint guarantee with the British Government of a credit of pounds sterling 250,000 to the Shanghai Municipal Council.
During the past autumn the American Consul General at Shanghai transmitted an inquiry from the Chairman of the Municipal Council of the International Settlement at Shanghai in regard to possible participation by the Government of the United States in a loan, or in the guarantee of a loan, to the Council. On November 30 the Department of State, following consultation with the Treasury Department, informed the American Consul General at Shanghai99 of its opinion that there is not available to the Government of the United States any fund which could appropriately be used in meeting the desires of the Council as indicated above. The situation has not changed since the issuance of that instruction.
With reference to the last paragraph of the British Embassy’s communication, while this Government does not see its way to adopting the specific procedure outlined therein, it is, as is also the American Consul General at Shanghai, thoroughly aware of the importance of the exercise by the American community at Shanghai of its full voting strength in the municipal elections.
- Telegram No. 470, December 1, 4 p.m., not printed.↩