611.9331/251
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The Chinese Ambassador called to present the incoming Foreign Minister of China, Dr. Quo.
After the usual exchange of courtesies, Dr. Quo handed me the attached manuscript54 relating to reciprocity and equality in China. I thanked him and replied that my Government has taken similar [Page 639] positions in numerous announcements I and others have made, especially during recent years; and that this instrument brings the Government of China up to the position of my Government. I said that, of course, we would be glad to give the matter attention. I inferred that he might seek to present this also to the President.
I took the occasion to make a general remark to the effect that probably my Government would have brought its remaining Marines out of Shanghai and two other places in China some time ago except for the possible hurtful effect it might have in making the Chinese think we were abandoning them generally and also the misconstruction that Japan would place upon it.
- Supra. ↩