793.94/3444: Telegram
The Consul General at Nanking (Peck) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 8—9:55 a.m.]
5. My No. 4, January 8, 2 p.m. At 4 p.m. the Minister for Foreign Affairs sent for me in haste and informed me that after studying the communication which I had handed to him at 1 p.m. the Chinese Government had decided to hold in abeyance temporarily the severing of relations and the appeal to the League. The reason for this was that the Chinese Government wished to investigate the possibility that the communication addressed by the American Government to China and Japan might accomplish the same [result?] which the Chinese Government had sought to achieve by those measures. Mr. Chen said that although the note referred by name only to the Pact of Paris nevertheless its text would indicate that it was based also on the Nine-Power Treaty on principles and policies and he inquired whether I could inform him whether the American Government in drafting its communication had that treaty in mind as well as the Pact of Paris. He also inquired whether the American Government had any intention to convene a conference of the signatories of the said treaty or failing that what the attitude of the American Government would be toward a request by China that such a conference be convened. I told Mr. Chen that I had no information on these points and suggested that he might desire to instruct the Chinese Minister in Washington to approach the Secretary of State. He replied that in view of the important decisions at stake his Government earnestly desired to obtain the information described above at the earliest possible moment and he requested that I telegraph direct to which I then assented. He said that it was his wish that I keep in close contact with my British colleague on this matter.
Repeated to the Legation.