711.94/926: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 26—7:37 a.m.]
139. The following telegram has been received from Peck13 at Nanking:
“March 24, 1 p.m. What follows is translation of informal comments made to the press by the Foreign Office March 23d and published today.
‘The nature of the correspondence exchanged between the United States and Japan is informal. Until the full texts have been seen no definite comments can be made. So far as can be observed up to the present the motive for the exchange of correspondence is probably to mitigate the tense atmosphere between the two countries during the past 2 years. There is no other object involved. This view is supported by the circular telegram of the American Department of State to its Legation and Consulates abroad14 in which it is stated that between the United States and Japan “No negotiations were conducted in the past and no negotiations are being conducted now.”
[Page 640]With regard to the nonrecognition of the puppet organization the American Government has repeatedly declared this to be its unchanged policy. On June 7, 1933 the Advisory Committee of the League of Nations adopted a resolution15 relative to nonrecognition of the puppet state. The American Minister in Switzerland addressed a formal report to the Secretary General of the League expressing agreement.16 We firmly believe that the American Government will certainly continue its past policy and will not recognize the puppet organization.’”
- Willys R. Peck, Counselor of Legation and Consul General at Nanking.↩
- See telegram of March 21, 5 p.m., to the Ambassador in Japan, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 129.↩
- See League of Nations, Official Journal, Special Supplement No. 113, p. 10.↩
- For the Department’s instructions, see No. 2319, September 20, 1933, to the Chargé in Switzerland, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 121.↩