Office of the Historian

793.94/2818: Telegram

The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

Nanking, November 22, 1931—7 p.m.
[Received November 22—12:25 p.m.]

My November 22, 1 a.m., paragraph 3.

1.
Koo has just called to say that Chinese draft was submitted to Foreign Affairs Commission today and was adopted with a few changes and it is now being telegraphed to Sze at Paris with instructions to furnish copy to Dawes.
2.
Draft as adopted is as follows with clauses numbered as in paragraph No. 3 of telegram under reference:
  • No. 1. No change.
  • No. 2. For evacuation fixed at 2 weeks.
  • No. 3. No change.
  • No. 4. Commission of neutral representatives to be jointly appointed by League and America to supervise evacuation and the taking over of evacuated territory; to study situation in Manchuria and report for information of conference mentioned in clause 7.
  • No. 5. No change.
  • No. 6. No change.
  • No. 7. A conference of interested powers to be jointly convoked by the League and the United States to discuss and to settle all questions between China and Japan relating to Manchuria on the basis of the principles embodied in the Covenant of the League, Anti-War Pact and Nine-Power Treaty with a view to safeguarding peace in the Far East and to promoting economic development of Manchuria through international cooperation.
3.
Above proposal will be accompanied according to Koo by an introductory statement somewhat along following lines:

Japan in the view of China by continued hostilities extending occupation in Manchuria has violated those Covenant provisions enjoining [Page 534] members from going to war, especially articles X, XII, XIII and XV. In view of this violation, China is of the opinion that League should apply sanctions provided for in article XVI which in effect says that if any member should go to war in violation of articles XII, XIII or XI it would be considered ipso facto to have committed an act of war against other members who are forthwith to put sanctions into force. To uphold the sanctity of the Covenant and to fulfill the purpose of its existence the League should proceed at once to apply this article, but knowing the Council’s natural hesitation in pursuing this course China does not wish to insist at present upon the enforcement of this article until every chance of a peaceful settlement has been exhausted. It is in this spirit of conciliation that China offers this counterproposal.

Johnson