Report on the British and French Positions Regarding the Shantung Question

Title

Report on the British and French Positions Regarding the Shantung Question

Creator

Unknown

Date

No date

Source

Robert and Sally Huxley

Publisher

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museusm

Language

English

Text

MEMORANDUM

Record of conversations with Mr. Alfred Sze, The Honorable Charles Tufton, and M. Jean Gout.
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Mr. Sze gave an account of his conversations with a Foreign office official in London and of Lord Curzon's interest in the proposal that Japan be asked to make a declaration. Mr. Sze had laid stress on the desirability of Japan's setting a time limit for withdrawal from Shantung. Upon receipt of information from the Chinese delegation in Paris to the effect that the American delegation was making representations, Mr. Sze asked that his previous remarks should not be made the basis of further consideration of the matter.

In Paris, Dr. Koo had seen Mr. Balfour this morning. Mr. Balfour had “some recollection of Mr. Lansing's having said something to him on the subject.” Mr. Balfour expressed regret that the Chinese had not signed the German treaty. He said that it might be possible to publish some Sir Maurice Hanky's memorandum which contained the Japanese assurances.

Mr. Tufton informed me this afternoon that the British delegation had sent to London a copy of the draft (obviously that given them on July 17) with a full account of the explanation which I had given him (on the 17th) concerning same. I explained again that the United States hoped for individual representations on the part of the British and the French, that we did not want to give any appearance of bringing pressure to bear on Japan, and that we hoped that the British would relalize the advantages to be gained through the following out of the suggestions which we had made, would make representations supporting ours in principle, and would do so promptly.I had an hour and a half with M. Gout, who has charge of Far Eastern affairs in the French Foreign office. During an hour of this conversation M. Padou, Financial Adviser to the Chinese Government, was present. M. Gout expressed the opinion that the Council of Four had made a great mistake in not consulting the experts; in fact, he had proposed at the outset that Far Eastern questions should be referred to a commission, and he still thought this should be done. However, the damage has been done; moreover, the Council allowed Japan to make a statement (that of May 4); how can it now be expected that the Japanese will make another statement? On this point I explained that the statement which the Japanese had made was very general; that what the United States asks is a statement giving definition and exactness; that several weeks of have elapsed since May 4, new situations have arisen and new measures are advisable; that, the very fact that one statement is received by the public sas unsatisfactory is an argument in favor of an attempt to improve that statement by saying something which will be accepted as satisfactory.M. Gout suggested that Mr. Lansing should have consulted the French and the British with a view to makeing joint representations. I explained that Mr. Lansing had made representations on the part of the United States alone with the a deliberate intention that they should be informal and that there should be no repetition of what occured in 1895 when Russia, France and Germany made joint representations greatly to the annoyance of Japan. M. Gout admitted the soundness of this position.After the arrival of M. Padou, most of the discussion was directed to the Far Eastern situation in general and the requirements of a set policy in dealing with it. M. Padou and I were in agreement in considering the situation much more serious than it appeared to M. Gout. It became evident that M. Gout is open to conviction on the basis of information and opinions which may come from his own people.

Original Format

Letter

Files

http://resources.presidentwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/D60022.pdf

Citation

Unknown, “Report on the British and French Positions Regarding the Shantung Question,” No date, R. Emmet Condon Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.