Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1932, The Far East, Volume III

793.94 Commission/160

The Acting Secretary of State to Dr. George H. Blakeslee⁸³

Washington, April 22, 1932.

Sir: Referring to the Department’s telegram No. 104, April 12, 5 p.m. to the American Legation, Peiping, the Department encloses herewith an outline of the plan referred to in that telegram which you may use in whole or in part, as upon your own initiative and responsibility, whenever you feel that such action on your part will lend practical assistance toward the working out of a satisfactory solution of the Sino-Japanese controversy.⁸⁴

Very truly yours,

W. R. Castle, Jr.

[Enclosure]

Outline of a Plan for a Practical Solution of the Problem Relating to Manchuria

A general basic agreement to be concluded between China and Japan to enter into direct negotiations relating, first, to the reestablishment of a temporary Chinese administration in Manchuria; second, to the reestablishment of a permanent Chinese administration in Manchuria, including questions of security and protection of foreign rights and interests; and third, to the negotiation of a new comprehensive treaty relating to Manchuria.

Once the general basic agreement referred to above has been concluded, subsequent negotiations would be divided into three stages, as follows:

• First, a preliminary agreement relating to the reestablishment of a temporary Chinese civil administration in Manchuria providing:

  (1) That the present independent central administration in Manchuria be dissolved, a general amnesty being granted to all who participated therein;

  (2) That there be appointed by the Central Government of China to take over the administration of Manchuria a Commission headed by a well-known Chinese, acceptable to both the Chinese and Japanese Governments, with the title of Governor General;

  (3) That the Governor General and the Commission immediately, in place of the present independent central administration referred to in (1) above, take charge of the Chinese administration in Manchuria and assume control of and supervision over the provincial and municipal authorities now existing in that area pending the coming into force of the arrangements provided for in the second agreement.

• Second, within one month after the signing of the preliminary agreement referred to above, a conference to be held between the representatives of China and Japan, in the presence of or without the presence of neutral observers, at Manila (Hong Kong or Singapore), relating to the reestablishment of a permanent Chinese administration in Manchuria, including questions of security and protection of foreign rights and interests providing:

  (1) That there be set up in Manchuria a civil administration headed by a Governor General, who shall be a well-known Chinese preferably of civil rather than of military rank;

  (2) That there be associated with the Governor General an adequate and appropriate staff of qualified Chinese assistants and foreign advisers;

  (3) That the civil administration referred to above be authorized to proceed as follows:

  (a) To organize provincial and municipal governments composed of Chinese residents of Manchuria;

  (b) To organize provincial and municipal police and constabulary forces to maintain law and order, which forces shall be trained and supervised by foreign officers selected from among the advisers referred to in (2) above;

  (c) To supervise the collection and disbursement of the revenues of Manchuria for purposes indigenous to that area, remitting to the Central Government of China such portion thereof as is normally remitted or as otherwise may be agreed upon for the retirement of Chinese Government obligations charged against these revenues and for Manchuria’s contribution to the expenses of the Central Government, provided that there shall be no interference with the administration of the regular Chinese customs, salt and postal services;

  (d) To supervise Chinese financial and other economic institutions in Manchuria for the purposes of rehabilitating and stabilizing the financial situation in that area;

  (e) To organize a central Bureau of Communications which shall supervise all principal means of Chinese communication in Manchuria and shall be authorized to seek to devise and work out ways and means for coordination of all existing and future railway lines in Manchuria;

  (4) That, when competent constabulary and police forces of the new administration have been organized, the Japanese Government withdraw into the South Manchuria Railway zone such Japanese troops as may at that time still be stationed outside of that zone, the evacuation of such troops to be supervised, if necessary, by foreign officers selected from among neutral members of the advisory corps referred to in (2) above.

• Third, immediately after the conclusion of the second agreement referred to above, the same conference to enter into the negotiation of a new comprehensive treaty relating to Manchuria.

Note: In regard to the negotiation of this treaty, it is practically certain that, at the time when the general basic agreement referred to above is entered into, certain questions will arise such as (a) the question of conducting the negotiations in the presence of neutral observers; (b) the principles under which the negotiations are to be conducted; and (c) the old treaties and agreements which are to be discussed during the negotiations and replaced by the new treaty. With regard to (a) it is believed desirable that the negotiations be conducted in the presence of neutral observers, but if either side should raise strong objection to such observers the difficulty might be obviated by having both sides stipulate that no secret agreements shall be consummated. With regard to (b) it might be possible to solve the question of the principles under which the negotiations are to be conducted by stipulating that the guiding principles shall be those agreed upon in the Covenant of the League, in the Nine Power Treaty and in the Kellogg Pact. If, however, objection should be raised by either side to the specific mentioning of these pacts, it might be sufficient to have a stipulation worded along the lines of the language used in Article I of the Nine Power Treaty. With regard to (c), difficulties and disputes in regard to the treaties and agreements to be replaced might best be obviated by persuading both sides to proceed with their efforts to negotiate a new comprehensive treaty without listing at the outset old treaties and agreements, in the hope that questions in regard thereto will resolve themselves as the negotiations proceed. It is felt that endeavor should be made to concentrate on matters susceptible of agreement and to avoid argument about the technical validity of existing treaties and agreements with regard to which concurrence of views is out of the question.

83. Transmitted in a sealed envelope as enclosure to the Department’s instruction No. 740, April 22, to the Minister in China, for delivery to Dr. Blakeslee.
84. Dr. Blakeslee replied in a letter dated Peiping, June 23: “I wish to express particular appreciation of the kindness of the Department in preparing and sending this outline. I have used it in exactly the manner requested.” (793.94 Commission/300)