741.94/101a
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Bingham)
Sir: Reference is made to the Department’s telegram No. 177, May 14, 7 p.m., and to the Embassy’s telegram No. 292, May 18, 1937, 6 p.m.
In several stories which have appeared in the press recently, news correspondents have affirmed in varying phraseologies that the British Government would of course have no objection to “recognizing” that Japan has “special interests” in China or a “special position” in the Far East.
If in such connection those who talk about “recognizing” are envisaging entry by the British Government into a formal commitment affirming for and attributing to Japan “special interests” or a “special position,” we doubt whether the stories rest on any foundation of real [Page 104] fact. But, if by any chance such a proposal has been or should be evolved, we feel that the British Government would be well advised were it to study carefully the whole history of the Lansing–Ishii exchange of notes16 before coming to any conclusion favorable to the making by it of such a commitment. Please be on the alert for any evidence that any such proposal is under consideration. In case you discover any such evidence, please take occasion immediately and invariably to point out that your Government regards as most unfortunate and unsatisfactory its experience with such a commitment; point out that the Lansing-Ishii agreement had most unfortunate repercussions and consequences; and intimate that any project for the conclusion between any governments of any agreement in recognition of any “special interests” or “special position” of any power in the Far East would be a matter of concern to your Government.
Very truly yours,
- See Foreign Relations, 1917, pp. 258 ff.; ibid., 1922, vol. ii, pp. 591 ff.; Foreign Relations, The Lansing Papers, 1914–1920, vol. ii, pp. 432 ff.↩