893.102S/2345: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 28—3:54 p.m.]
1163. Department’s 179, October 21, 5 p.m. to Chungking and Chungking’s 542, October 24, 10 a.m. to the Department. From an authoritative but strictly confidential source it is learned that the French Ambassador, who is now in Chungking, is negotiating with the appropriate authorities concerning a change in the status of the Chinese courts now functioning in the French Concession here. An effort is being made to effect an arrangement by which the courts will function as a joint judicial body, i. e., the judges to have joint commissions representing the Central Government and the Nanking regime. While it is doubtful whether the central authorities will agree to any such arrangement, I believe it would be advisable to defer any discussion of court matters here until after the outcome of the Chungking negotiations is known. If such an arrangement should be made for the French Concession courts it would be difficult to oppose a similar arrangement for the courts in the International Settlement. In any event I hesitate to bring up the court question when negotiations are under way in Chungking and I believe also that the atmosphere here at the moment would probably not be conducive to a successful outcome if events should make necessary the course of action suggested in the first paragraph of the Consulate General’s 1025, October 23[3], 1 p.m.
Sent to the Department, repeated to Chungking and Peiping.