893.00/7174: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 12—7:15 p.m.]
123. Your telegram 57, March 10, 2 p.m.
1. Chinese authorities of neither faction have taken steps to restore unimpeded navigation although several British and Japanese shipping companies have made private arrangements with the military forces for clearance of ships both inwards and outwards in individual instances in all cases subject to boarding and search.
2. The action taken in the circumstances indicated in the following telegram I am sending to commander in chieitem:
“The five interested Ministers today agreed to telegraph their respective naval authorities as follows:
‘On 10th of March the Senior Minister in behalf of the protocol powers notified the Chinese Government of the necessity of removing obstacles to the freedom of navigation in and out of Tientsin, either by the placing of mines or by gunfire, reserving their right to take action themselves to that end for the maintenance of the protocol of 1901 in case the Chinese Government failed to accomplish this forthwith.
Through the consular bodies at Tientsin and at Mukden and Tsinanfu, similar notifications have since been conveyed to the respective headquarters of the forces engaging in hostilities at the entrance of the harbor of Tientsin.
Inasmuch as no effect appears to have been given as yet to the demand of the protocol powers, the American, British, French, Italian and Japanese Ministers, representing the countries having naval forces at Tientsin, have agreed that it is desirable that, unless free navigation has been restored in time for vessels in and out of Tientsin by the morning tide on Saturday March 13th, the naval commanders should notify the military authorities in command of the fort at Taku and the naval officer in command of the Tsingtau flotilla to the following effect:
In order to maintain the general treaty right[s] of international commerce and the particular right of free access from the Capital to the sea, as provided by protocol of 1901, the powers concerned demand that: (1) All hostilities in the channel from Taku Bar to Tientsin must be discontinued; (2) all mines or other obstructions must be removed; (3) all navigation signals must be restored and not further molested; (4) all combatant vessels must remain outside Taku [Bar] and refrain from interference with foreign shipping; and (5) all searches of foreign vessels except by the customs authorities must be discontinued.
If satisfactory assurances on these points have not been received by the morning tide of Monday, the naval authorities of the foreign powers will proceed to take such measures as they may find necessary for the purpose of removing or of suppressing any obstruction to the free and safe navigation of the channel between Tientsin and the sea.
The five Ministers above mentioned nevertheless consider it desirable that the naval forces should not, unless in case of absolute necessity, resort to gunfire unless further advised.’
In view of State Department’s approval of naval action in case of necessity I recommend that you authorize U.S.S. Asheville and U.S.S. Preston to cooperate with naval forces of other nationalities at Tientsin for the purpose set forth above.”
3. Repeated to Tientsin.