Sir Esme Howard would be grateful to learn the views of the United States Government on this subject as soon as possible in order to communicate them to Mr. Chamberlain without delay. [WASHINGTON,] March 16, 1925. 893.113/826 The British Ambassador (Howard) to the Secretary of State No. 302 78 WASHINGTON, March 25, 1925. SIR: With reference to my Aide-Memoire of March 16th which I had the honour to communicate to you in my letter of the same date regarding the Chinese Arms Traffic, I have the honour to inform you that I learn from His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State that they have been obliged to yield to the persistence of the French Government that aircraft and parts certified by the Government of the country of origin as being of commercial type cannot legally be detained in transit to the Far East. Mr. Chamberlain has instructed me to add that should the United States Government see their way to exert pressure on the French Government to stop this traffic it would, in the opinion of His Majesty's Government, be most useful. In communicating to you the above, I have the honour to ask that you will be so good as to inform me at your earliest convenience of the views of the United States Government on this question. I have [etc.] 893.113/818 (For the Ambassador) H. G. CHILTON The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Howard) WASHINGTON, April 8, 1925. EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Notes No. 252 of March 12, 1925, and No. 302 of March 25, 1925, in regard to the China Arms Embargo Agreement of 1919 and the suggested prohibition of the export of aircraft to China, and to express my appreciation of the offer of the British Government to instruct its Ambassador at Paris to support his American colleague in any steps that the latter may be instructed to take with reference to obtaining the assent of the French Government to a tripartite agreement concerning aircraft. This Government, however, shares the view of the British Government that there is little, if any, hope of success for the conclusion of such a tripartite agreement at the present time, and it does not therefore now contemplate approaching the French Government on the matter. This Government feels itself the less disposed to do so in view of the fact that it would, as stated in Mr. Hughes' note to you of December 24[20], 1924, "find it difficult to obligate itself in the matter without reservation concerning the legal limitations of its competence with regard to the export of aircraft." Although this Government does not feel, in view of its own limitations, that it can propose to the French Government an absolute prohibition on the export of aircraft to China, it purposes, nevertheless, to continue, as it has in the past, to draw, the attention of the French Government to important cases of exportation of aircraft, emphasizing the non-existence of commercial aviation in China and the view that, for all practical purposes, all aircraft destined for China should be considered as within the scope of the embargo. Such is the position which this Government has taken administratively; and, as was stated in the note above mentioned, it has for a period of over two years (and with entire success, as it understands) discouraged the exportation of any kind of aircraft to China since it appears that at present there is no commercial aviation in China and since the experience has been that shipments of this character have invariably fallen into the hands of militarists and been utilized by them for military purposes. With reference to the question of the possibility of strengthening the China Arms Embargo Agreement of 1919, I am glad to note that the views of the British Government are in accord with those of this Government as expressed in its note of December 24, 1924,75 to which you refer. I also note with much satisfaction that it is the present purpose of the British Government to continue to do all that lies within its power to render the embargo more effective. Being convinced that, apart from other considerations, the present disturbed conditions in China, which show no signs of abating, require the rigorous suppression of the export of arms and munitions to that country, this Government likewise purposes to do all that it can to make the embargo thoroughly effective. In this connection, your attention is invited to the action of the United States Court for China at Shanghai, which recently fined and sentenced to a year's penal servitude the master of the American sailing ship Talbot for a violation of the American laws upon this subject. Accept [etc.] FRANK B. KELLOGG 500 A.14/167a The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Howard) The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency, the Ambassador of Great Britain, and has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of confidential Aide Memoires dated March 16 and April 2, 1925,76 with further reference to the prohibition on the exportation of aircraft to China and the possibility of strengthening the China Arms Embargo Agreement of 1919. It is noted that the Ambassador suggests that it is not altogether improbable that the question of traffic in arms with China may come up for consideration at the proposed Conference at Geneva on May 4 although the British Government has no intention of bringing forward this subject. The Ambassador kindly transmits for the consideration of the Department a copy of a memorandum prepared by Sir Roland Macleay," the British Minister at Peking, setting forth his views with respect to the China arms question. It is noted that the Minister considers that it would be impracticable to include China in the category of prohibited areas provided for in a draft convention for the control of the traffic in arms which convention is to be considered at Geneva on May 4. In the light of recent correspondence, it seems unlikely that a general international agreement could be reached at this time for further effective measures of control of the traffic in arms with China, such for example, as contained in the resolutions proposed in 1922 at the Conference on the Limitation of Armaments.78 This Government therefore doubts whether any useful purpose could be served by a discussion of the China arms question at the Geneva Conference, the purpose of which, it is understood, is to deal with the question of the general international trade rather than with remedies for the special, and it is to be hoped temporary, conditions which now prevail in China. It may be added that this Government would not be inclined to support the suggestion that China should be placed in the so-called prohibited areas as it is felt that such a proposal would serve merely as an irritant without tending toward a more effective supervision of the trade in arms with that country. The view of this Government with respect to the China arms question is set forth more fully in its note of April 8, 1925. WASHINGTON, April 15, 1925. 76 Latter not printed. 77 Not printed. See Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, November 12, 1921-February 6, 1922 (Washington, Government Printing Affice, 1922), pp. 1416, 1466, 1474, 1476, 1480, 1482, 1484, 1492. PARTICIPATION BY THE UNITED STATES IN EFFORTS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THE DISTURBANCES AT SHANGHAI, MAY 30, 1925 893.5045/56: Telegram The Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham) to the Secretary of State SHANGHAI, May 31, 1925-2 p. m. Yesterday students from local schools and strikers from Japanese mills began organizing tour of speech making and parade in International Settlement protesting against killing of Chinese laborers in Japanese mill, prosecution of strikers in the Mixed Court and contemplated measures of rate payers regarding press regulations and wharfage dues. The police ordered discontinuance which was ignored, whereupon several leaders were arrested and taken to Louza police station on Nanking Road. Soon the students became a threatening mob assaulting 2 foreign police constables, completely held up traffic on Nanking Road and finally attempted to force an entrance to Louza police station threatening the lives of foreigners. The order was given to fire and 3 were killed, 6 others succumbed last night and probably some 20 others wounded. The police are considered to have acted in the only possible way consistent with the situation. The mob distributed violent circulars of Bolshevik character proclaiming that present conditions were due to imperialism of Great Britain, United States, France and Japan, the anti-Japanese circulars being strongest in language and most numerous. Reserve police called out yesterday and certain volunteer organizations ordered to stand by. Some indications that there will be a general strike soon, probably tomorrow. CUNNINGHAM 893.5045/131 The Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Shen) to the Italian Minister in China (Cerruti), Senior Minister 79 [Translation] PEKING, June 1, 1925. MR. MINISTER: I have the honor to call the serious attention of Your Excellency to the following unfortunate fact which occurred on May 30th last, in the International Concession at Shanghai: Transmitted by the American Minister in China as an enclosure to his despatch No. 3045, June 10; received July 11. The Minister reported his receipt of this note in telegram No. 198, June 2 (not printed). 75289-40- -49 "Following the arrest of students and acts of violence against Chinese workmen, several of whom were wounded, a certain number of students from different universities of Shanghai went, in the afternoon of May 30th last, to the Police Station of the International Concession as a sign of protest and made speeches. The armed intervention of the Police resulted in the arrest of more than forty students, four students being killed on the spot, six students being seriously wounded two of whom succumbed shortly after, and seventeen passers-by being wounded three of whom died later." In learning with emotion of the fact mentioned above, I beg leave to state that whatever may be the character of their demonstration, the students who are young men of good family, very patriotic and unarmed, cannot, in any case, be treated as ordinary malefactors and that instead of quieting them by appropriate means, the Police resorted to extreme means which are essentially condemned by humanity and justice. I find myself, therefore, absolutely obliged to address to Your Excellency the most formal protest, reserving the right to make, as soon as subsequent reports giving complete details reach me, all the claims which will result from this deplorable incident, for which the authorities of the Concession are entirely responsible. Moreover, I would ask Your Excellency to be good enough to inform the Ministers of the interested Powers of the foregoing, and to give the necessary urgent instructions to the Consular authorities at Shanghai to set at liberty immediately the arrested persons and come to an agreement there with the Special Commissioner for Foreign Affairs of that city, in order to prevent the possible recurrence of such cases. I have [etc.] [File copy not signed] 893.5045/60: Telegram The Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham) to the Secretary of State SHANGHAI, June 3, 1925-noon. Summarizing events since my telegram of May 31, 2 p. m., after several hours' deliberation on May 31, 7 p. m., general strike resolutions were passed by students and street associations to become effective June 1st and demands were made and wild resolutions passed on all conceivable questions. June 1st Chinese business houses in the International Settlement were closed in obedience to strike resolu |