893.74/174: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in China (Ruddock)
242. Your 302, August 26, 6 p.m.
You will take early occasion to say to Minister for. Foreign Affairs that this Government cannot entertain his suggestion that it should compromise the issues involved in the Federal Wireless case. As was explained in the note dated July 165 in response to the inquiry addressed to this Government by the Chinese Minister under instructions from his Government, those issues involve the interpretation to be given to the principle of equality of commercial and industrial opportunity. That question is one of principle which this Government could not compromise without impairment of a policy which it has always consistently maintained and in which it lias felt warranted in counting upon the support of the Chinese Government as being in fact the principal beneficiary of that policy. This Government feels keen disappointment that the Chinese Government is disposed to temporize and to dissociate itself from this Government’s efforts towards clarifying the question of the open door and vindicating China’s freedom of action in seeking the assistance of foreign finance and industry impartially. This defection of the Chinese Government appears the more incomprehensible in view of the Minister’s connecting it with the forthcoming Washington conference, as this Government has been proceeding upon the assumption that its traditional open door policy is fully and loyally shared by the Government of China.
You will therefore inquire of the Minister for Foreign Affairs
- First—whether the Chinese Government does or does not regard itself as pledged to the principle of the open door;
- Second—whether it approves or dissents from such constructions of that principle as were embodied in this Government’s note of July 1 to the Chinese Minister; and
- Third—whether the Chinese Government would or would not welcome and support any such further efforts as this Government may find it expedient to make in furtherance of the open door policy as thus construed.
A prompt reply is essential in view of matters now under consideration.