893.102 Tientsin/372
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton) of a Conversation With the Chinese Ambassador (Hu Shih)
The Chinese Ambassador called at his request. He had with him a number of telegrams which he said he had received from his Government during the past two weeks and in which the highest officials of the Chinese Government indicated their deep anxiety in regard to the Tientsin situation.
The Ambassador said that his Government was perturbed lest the British and the French make too great concessions to the Japanese and that, according to statements in some of the telegrams which he had received, high officials of the Chinese Government felt that the outcome of the Tientsin situation really hinged on the attitude taken by the American Government. The Ambassador said that he had telegraphed his Government that he did not agree wholly with the [Page 222] view that the outcome of the Tientsin situation hinged largely on Washington and that he had expressed to his Government the opinion that the Japanese attitude was really the determining factor.
The Ambassador said that in one of the telegrams there was mention of the fact that the British and the French might agree to turn over to the Japanese the Chinese Government’s silver now on deposit in foreign banks in the British and French Concessions at Tientsin. The Ambassador said that his Government had approached the British and French Governments and asked that those Governments not agree to turn over this silver to the Japanese. He said that his Government had expressed to the British and French Governments the hope that they would not make too great concessions at Tientsin.
The Ambassador said that in view of the various telegrams which he had received he was calling at the Department to express to us, on behalf of his Government, the hope that the American Government would use its influence with the British and French Governments to the end that those Governments not make too great concessions in reference to the Tientsin situation. The Ambassador said that he realized that we could not make any statement to him on this matter and that he therefore laid the matter before us for consideration.
I said that I would of course make note of what he had said and would bring it to the attention of the higher officers of the Department.