Through a leak in the Foreign Office morning papers contain an inconspicuous item to the effect that Belgium has been requested to convene the Nine Power Conference here and that the idea has been well received in Government circles. GIBSON 793.94 Conference/12: Telegram The Ambassador in Belgium (Gibson) to the Secretary of State BRUSSELS, October 13, 1937-noon. [Received October 13-8:45 a. m.] 82. I called upon the Minister for Foreign Affairs this morning. He said that before giving a final answer which he hoped would be favorable the Belgian Government felt that it must ask for more specific information on three points: (1) By what authority would the Belgian Government issue invitations to the signatories non-members of the League of Nations (United States and Japan)? Belgian Government is chiefly concerned to know whether Italy has agreed to this procedure in order that there may be no complications later on. In this connection the press has already contained statements from Rome to the effect that the Italian Government would not recognize the rights of the League to act in this matter and would therefore decline to attend Conference. The Government burnt its fingers in the matter of sanctions and is particularly anxious to avoid any further complications with Italy or any other great power. (2) An intimation had been received from Washington that we should like to have Van Zeeland preside over the Conference. Van Zeeland has been ordered away by his doctors and stated last night to the Foreign Minister over the telephone that he was so exhausted he doubted whether he could return before early November. I took it upon myself at this point to say this would seem to offer no difficulty as, in the absence of some other arrangement, it was customary for the Conference to choose its own president, usually the Minister for Foreign Affairs. (3) If Italy and Japan refuse the invitation just what is envisaged as the program of the Conference? I said on my own responsibility that I felt this did not materially affect the proposal as the absence of one or more signatories, far from diminishing the necessity for consultation, only made it more urgent. Unless the Department desires me to express different views as regards points 2 and 3 point 1 would seem to be the only essential difficulty facing the Belgian Government. If I can be given an immediate answer on this point I shall hope to secure a decision today. British Ambassador is communicating with his Government along the lines of the foregoing and hopes to have an early reply. GIBSON 793.94 Conference/12: Telegram The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Belgium (Gibson) WASHINGTON, October 13, 1937-1 p. m. 47. Your 82, October 13, noon. Your point 1. It is our understanding that the meeting of the parties to the Nine Power Treaty arose from a suggestion of the Assembly of the League, but that, nevertheless, the meeting is not a meeting under the League of Nations. In our opinion, the meeting would be autonomous. As to points 2 and 3, we are in accord with your opinion. I feel that we should, under no account, cross wires with the British in these conversations with the Belgian Government and to that end am repeating this telegram to Johnson. The British approached us on the subject to get our views and we were of the opinion that Brussels would be the most logical place and have merely been attempting to support the British effort to so arrange. Please bear this in mind in any conversation you may have. Please repeat your No. 82, October 13, noon to London. HULL 793.94 Conference/17c: Telegram The Secretary of State to the Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson) WASHINGTON, October 13, 1937—2 p. m. 418. Please inform the Foreign Secretary that I am impressed as he is with the importance of the Nine Power Conference and of the necessity of having a strong delegation there. I am happy to note that Mr. Eden will presumably represent Great Britain. Mr. Eden will appreciate the practical impossibility for me to absent myself through such a long period, especially with the Congress assembling. The President has, therefore, decided to send in my stead Mr. Norman H. Davis to represent the United States. Please request Mr. Eden to regard the foregoing as confidential until an announcement is made. We are becoming concerned at the delay in the determination of place and date and believe it is having a harmful effect. We hope the British Government will be able to remove quickly the apprehension of the Belgian Government. HULL 793.94 Conference/13: Telegram The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State TOKYO, October 13, 1937-5 p. m. [Received October 13-9: 15 a. m.] 470. 1. My Belgian colleague 89 today informed me that he had yesterday received a telegram from his Government merely for his information stating that with the concurrence of the American Government the British Government has approached the Belgian Government with a view to the choice of Brussels as a meeting place for the proposed Conference of signatories to the Nine-Power Treaty. The Belgian Government is now considering the matter but has not yet reached a decision. 2. The Belgian Ambassador, nevertheless, yesterday called on the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs 90 on his own initiative and referring to reports in the press inquired whether Japan would participate in such a Conference and what would be the attitude of the Japanese Government towards the convocation of such a meeting. The Vice Minister replied that as the proposal had not yet been brought to the attention of the Japanese Government the matter had not yet been given official consideration but that the Japanese Government is "disinterested". 3. My British colleague 1 also saw the Vice Minister on the same subject later yesterday. Craigie has not yet communicated with me but Bassompierre informs me that the Vice Minister told Craigie that he could not see the purpose of holding such a meeting because it could not have the slightest effect on the terms which Japan proposed eventually to demand from China as a result of the hostilities. 4. The Belgian Ambassador has strongly recommended to his Government against the holding of such a meeting in Brussels because no international action short of force could in any way alter the course of developments in China and because the Belgian Government would thereby be futilely injuring its own interests in Japan. GREW 793.94 Conference/55 The Chinese Embassy to the Department of State The Chinese Ambassador has been informed that the Belgian Government is hesitant about having Brussels as the venue of the Nine 89 Baron Albert de Bassompierre, Belgian Ambassador in Japan and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. 90 Kensuke Horinouchi. Sir Robert L. Craigie, British Ambassador in Japan. Power Conference because of the attitude of certain European Powers. It is requested that the United States Government will be good enough to propose London instead and do everything possible to expedite the Conference. [WASHINGTON,] October 14, 1937. 793.94 Conference/24: Telegram The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State NANKING, October 14, 1937-9 a. m. [Received 4:55 p. m.] 806. 1. In response to an invitation I called on General 92 and Madame Chiang yesterday afternoon accompanied by Peck.93 Chiang's mind was full of the statements made by the President 94 and the Secretary of State 95 and of the forthcoming Conference of NinePower-Treaty signatories. He inquired what policies the United States would advocate at the Conference and what decision the Conference probably would reach. I replied that the view taken by the American Government of the Far Eastern situation was indicated by the two statements mentioned but I was unable to venture any opinion regarding what steps would be advocated either by the American Government or by the other governments represented in order to meet that situation. I said the problem was rendered even more difficult than it would be otherwise by the outspoken intention of Japan not to attend the Conference and to reject all third party mediation as a basis of negotiation. 2. General Chiang asked me to convey to you his firm belief that the decisions of the Conference would be determined by the position taken by the United States. He said it was clear that the British Government for one was waiting to follow the lead of the American Government. I attempted to observe that this had not been the case in the past but he pursued his argument that Europe was preoccupied with its own threatened dangers while the United States excluded from this issue was free to act. He said that unless the principles set forth in the President's speech were practical and unless the Nine Power Treaty were implemented there was no hope of peace in the Far East. He earnestly hoped that as one step toward some result from the Conference the United States would persuade Japan to participate. 22 Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, President of the Chinese Executive Yuan (Premier). 93 Willys R. Peck, Counselor of Embassy in China. "For text of address delivered at Chicago October 5, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931-1941, vol. 1, p. 379. "See ibid., p. 396; see also telegram No. 10, October 6, 6 p. m., to the Minister in Switzerland, ante, p. 62. 3. General Chiang said in the most positive way that no settlement of the conflict between China and Japan could possibly be reached by those two nations alone. In the light of past experience China could place no reliance on undertakings given by Japan unless one or more third parties supported them as witnesses and guarantors. Rather than enter into a purely bilateral agreement with Japan, China will fight to the point of extinction. In view of the appalling loss of life this would entail he asked that the American Government inform the Japanese Government of the determination of the Chinese Government to fight to the end rather than accept a direct settlement between the two nations. At the same time he said with equal force that China felt no enmity toward the Japanese people, its distrust being confined to the dominant military party, and was not only willing but anxious to accept a settlement of the relations between the two countries based on international justice. I inquired whether he thought it conceivable that terms could be devised that would be acceptable to both the Chinese and Japanese Governments and he said he thought such terms could be devised. 4. I inquired whether Chiang thought it was true as currently reported that the Japanese Government is pursuing a systematic plan of military domination which includes war with the Soviet Union. He replied that there could be no doubt of this; that the military party in Japan were keeping the common people in the dark regarding the real object of these military operations which were impoverishing the people, especially the farmers, and that it was these insane ambitions of the military party which made Japan as now governed a menace to the world. As I told General and Madame Chiang that the attitude of the American Government towards the issues involved in the Sino-Japanese conflict had been made perfectly clear and that while I had received no official information regarding the intentions of the Government with respect to the proposed Conference, I felt confident that the United States would cooperate in attempts to end the conflict; but I urged them most emphatically not to look for armed intervention by the American Government because the Government could act only with the approval and support of the people and popular sentiment in America was invincibly set against involvement in such a war. He said most earnestly that China does not expect or want the United States to go to war with Japan but it does look to the United States for action in accordance with the principles enunciated by the President directed towards the end of curbing Japanese aggression and upholding international justice. Sent to the Department, repeated to Peiping, Tokyo, and Shanghai. Shanghai inform Commander-in-Chief. JOHNSON |