FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1934, VOLUME III



611.9331/176: Telegram
   The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Johnson)

                              WASHINGTON, March 13, 1934-noon.
  64. Your 56, January 23, 5 p. m.
  1. The Department does not desire at the present time to make
a formal reply to the Chinese Government's note of January 18, 1934,
but does desire that Peck, subject to such comment as the Legation
may deem desirable to make, and with prior submission thereof to
the Department, discuss informally the question of treaty revision
with the person in Chinese Government circles whom he considers
to be the most responsible individual to approach, possibly Chiang
Kai-shek 62 himself, along the lines indicated below and report with
regard to the reactions produced.
  In our note of January 13, we expressed our willingness to partici-
pate in negotiations for a revision of the treaty of 1903, but, in view
of the reference in the Chinese note of December 23 to a "new treaty",
we stated a desire for further information in regard to the plans and
proposals which the Chinese Government had in mind. The Chinese
Government by its note of January 18 clearly indicates that it not only
desires a revision of the treaty of 1903 but that it wishes to have the
question of American extraterritorial jurisdiction brought into the
negotiations.
  With regard to this question, we feel that American extraterritorial
jurisdiction in China rests on a broader and more comprehensive
basis than merely the provisions of the treaty of 1903. Moreover,
the American- Government's attitude in regard to the problem of
extraterritorial jurisdiction has been clearly indicated in its notes of
August 10, 1929,63 and November 1, 1929."4 Subsequent thereto dis-
cussions were entered into between representatives of the two Govern-
ments, and, pan passu with somewhat similar discussions and results
as between representatives of the Chinese and British Governments,
tentative accords were reached by the summer of 1931 in regard to
various phases of the question.65
  We had every intention of resuming these discussions in the autumn
of 1931, but this was rendered impossible, as is well known, by political
developments which substantially affected and continue to affect the
general situation and hitherto existing expectations in and with re-
gard to China and the Far East.

62 Chairman of the Chinese Military Council and Commander in Chief of the
Army, Navy, and Air Forces.
63 See telegram No. 254, August 1, 1929, 11 a. m., Foreign Relations, 1929,
vol.
It, p. 596.
4 See telegram No. 958, November 4, 1929, 5 p. m., ibid., p. 616.
a See ibid., 1931, vol. iII, pp. 893-908.



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