793.94/9649
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hornbeck)
At the conclusion of the conversation this morning on another subject, the Chinese Ambassador stated that after his last conversation with the Secretary he had telegraphed to the Chinese Ambassador in London suggesting that the Ambassador (Dr. Kuo81) ask the British Foreign Minister just what he had said to the American Government on the subject of the Nine Power Treaty. It had developed that [Page 382] Mr. Eden and Mr. Cadogan82 were both absent from London and the inquiry had not yet been put.
The Ambassador continued with observations and allusion to the Nine Power Treaty which caused me to put the question: “Just what do people have in mind when they speak of invoking the Nine Power Treaty?” The Ambassador said that they have in mind Article VII. I inquired what does Article VII provide. The Ambassador replied that it provides for consultation. There followed a discussion which I introduced with the statement that, as I had said to the Ambassador a few days ago, I was not in position to inform him with regard to questions of high policy but that I could make certain observations. In the course of what followed I think I made it plain to the Ambassador that consultation is a process in which governments always have engaged and which was not suddenly discovered and made use of when and since the Nine Power Treaty was concluded; that neither the Nine Power Treaty nor the Kellogg Pact contains any specifications specifying what action, if any, is to be taken in case one or more of the signatory powers disregard the pledges which they have made in the treaty; this, in contrast to a treaty such as the Covenant of the League of Nations in which courses of action are expressly provided for. The Ambassador finally said that what he really wished to know was what courses of action were being discussed in course of consultations between and among the American and the British and the French Governments. He said that he realized that I was not in position to inform him on that point but that, if at any time the Secretary should be in position to give him information, he would greatly appreciate being given whatever was possible. I stated that I would so report.
With amenities, the conversation there ended.