893.74/390
The British Chargé (Chilton) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honour to refer to the note which you were so good as to address to me on July 27th last and to previous correspondence on the subject of wireless communication in China and to inform you that His Majesty’s Government are now in receipt of a reply from the Japanese Government to their enquiry regarding Japanese acceptance of the recommendations put forward by the experts during the Washington Conference on February 4th, 1922.
It appears that, while the Japanese Government have no objection to the co-operation scheme referred to in paragraph 1 of the memorandum drawn up by the experts, they cannot agree to the opinion of the American expert contained in paragraph 2 which, in their view, conflicts with the principle of the co-operation scheme mentioned above. The Japanese Government further regard the suggestion contained in paragraph 6 of the memorandum respecting the continued working of the cables after 1930 as conditional on the immediate abandonment by the Great Northern and Eastern Companies of their wireless monopoly rights. The Japanese Government are doubtful whether the companies’ monopoly does in fact include wireless telegraph but, if the Chinese Government and the two companies agree that this is so, the Japanese Government have no objection to the Four Powers making the suggested recommendation to the Government of China. Lastly, the Japanese Government have no objection to the matter referred to in the memorandum or to the statement of principles contained therein and are anxious to expedite the co-operation scheme proposed by the Washington experts.
In communicating to you the above information I am instructed to enquire whether the United States Government will be disposed to meet the views of the Japanese Government in regard to the latter’s objections to the contents of paragraph 2 of the Washington memorandum.
As regards the Japanese objections to paragraph 6 of the said memorandum, His Majesty’s Government desire me to point out that the Cable Companies do not ask for any monopoly of preferential rights after 1930 and are willing to abandon their exclusive rights immediately provided that the other recommendations put forward by the experts are carried out. In these circumstances, His Majesty’s Government are of the opinion that paragraph 6 should not offer any difficulty and that it only remains for the United [Page 823] States and Japanese Governments to come to an agreement about paragraph 2 to make the Washington memorandum effective.
I should be most grateful if you would in due course furnish me with an expression of the views of the United States Government in regard to the contents of this note.
I have [etc.]