893.74/671
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China ( MacMurray )51
Sir: The British Ambassador called on me on March 25th and told me that, in relation to the radio concession in China, he now understood that the Radio Corporation of America had not with China opposed the consortium, but that he understood there were other American interests which were opposed to it.
I told him I had not heard of any and asked to whom he referred. He said he did not have his papers with him and could not remember, but that it was some telegraph or cable company. I said that the only telegraph or cable company having any line to the Orient was the Commercial Pacific Company, in which the British owned an interest and that I had never heard that they had taken any part in the discussion. The Ambassador said he thought if the United States would urge China to enter into the consortium, China would agree; that the difference between the proposed consortium and the one which had been considered at the Conference was considerable; that the present consortium, among other things, contemplated Chinese operation of the station. He said that he was also informed that the Peking station, belonging to the Japanese, was adequate to communicate with all parts of the United States. I told him that as to that assertion I was not informed and made no promise as to what this Government would do.
I am [etc.]
- The same, on the same date, to the Chargé in Great Britain.↩