diate result of forming a link between China and the West with the
incidental result of strengthening China's central government. Such
technical work would form a new point of approach even though it
was not expected that the work itself would go beyond certain rather
restricted limits, at least for some time to come, both on account of the
financial difficulties involved as well as by reason of the lack of suf-
ficient trained men in China to undertake this type of work.
  Dr. Rajchman then discussed what he described as the philosophy
of this project in its broader aspects. He saw the League's relation
to China as falling into three distinct stages or phases.
  (1) The first efforts, which began several years ago, were intended
to "gain China for the League". The Department will recall that
on
account of a number of factors which had been in play since the world
war, the relations between China and the League at that time were
not very cordial (see Consulate's despatch No. 471 Political, dated
January 17, 1933 78). While the first efforts in the technical field
centered in matters of health and sanitation, it had behind it this aim
of "winning China" which may perhaps be characterized as funda-
mentally political.
  (2) The next state after the explorations in respect to health was
to assist the Chinese Government to build up a national organization
to carry out work in technical domains-the aim also being political,
in that it would help to strengthen China's central government. At
the meeting of the Council in May 1931, an agreement looking toward
this end was ratified. Dr. Rajchman stated that Yoshizawa, the
Japanese representative on the Council at that time, tried to block
this movement, but he was instructed in unequivocal terms by
Shidehara 79 to support it.
  Dr. Rajchman went to China in September 1931. On his way he
passed through Japan and talked in Tokyo with the Vice Minister of
Foreign Affairs, who stated that the Japanese Government favored the
League's cooperation with China which Rajchman had explained in
his talk with him. Then suddenly, without any warning, came the
Japanese attack on Mukden. A natural inference to be drawn from
this was, he felt, that the civil authorities were probably not aware
of the plans of the military.
  (3) On his arrival in China, Dr. Rajchman found that the Chinese
technical organization had already been created. The League's task
was thus changed. It was no longer necessary to create an organiza-
tion, but merely to assist in maintaining an existing organization.
  Thus at the present juncture the League's task is to help China's
endeavors to carry out its own program as efficiently as possible.

  Not printed.
  Baron Kijuro Shidehara, then Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs.



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CHINA