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problem; that His Majesty's Government attached great importance to an early termination of the negotiations and the conclusion of a satisfactory agreement; and that they would deplore it if the Chinese Government were to take up an attitude which would prevent such a satisfactory outcome. This step, while it to all intents and purposes settled the matter of the surrender of criminal jurisdiction, was, I think, timely and helpful; and I was able later to make good use of your memorandum.
Minister for Foreign Affairs' Declaration of April 10.
23. A week later, on the 10th April, the Minister for Foreign Affairs made a speech to the press for publication on the subject of the negotiations. Whether this statement was to be regarded as an exhortation to the Powers concerned to speed up the negotiations with a view to arriving at an amicable settlement, or as a threat of what would happen if China's wishes were not met, or merely as a piece of internal political flag-wagging, it bore a close family resemblance to similar pronouncements from the same quarter during the past year or two. It was admitted that good progress had been made in the negotiations, especially with Great Britain. Unfortunately, certain vital points were still outstanding, disagreement over which might render the negotiations abortive. The Chinese Government and the Chinese people would, however, brook no further delay. Sun Yat-sen had stated in his deathbed behest that the convocation of the People's Convention and the abolition of the "Unequal Treaties" should take place as soon as possible. The People's Convention was to meet on the 5th May. Consequently, both Government and people were asking whether the "Unequal Treaties would be abolished by then. It was the earnest hope of the Chinese Government and people that Great Britain and the United States, as well as the other Powers concerned, would "courageously seize fleeting time by the forelock and co-operate with the Nationalist Government in consummating the abolition of extra-territoriality, the bulwark of the "Unequal Treaties.' After more in the same strain, Dr. Wang concluded with the statement that, unless the solution desired by China was completely in sight, he and his colleagues would be constrained "to declare the present negotiations with the Powers concerned as deadlocked.”
وو
Attitude of Chinese Government in Linking Extra-territoriality with People's
Convention fixed for May 5.
24. Whatever the real meaning of this manoeuvre may have been, it was becoming increasingly evident that the Chinese Government (or at any rate Dr. Wang himself), had, for better or for worse, linked up their fortunes and their future with the abolition of extra-territoriality, and that they believed or professed to believe that it was essential to them to be able to present themselves before the People's Convention on the 5th May with something definite to show in that connexion. Already, once before, they had played to the popular gallery by unilaterally declaring extra-territoriality at an end on the 1st January, 1930. This declaration had remained a mere paper gesture, a position they had explained by letting it be understood that the necessary agreements to give effect to it would immediately be negotiated with the Powers concerned. Nearly a year and a half had, however, since passed, and nothing had happened. If, therefore, they could show no result in their negotiations by the time the People's Convention met on the 5th May, they would be compelled to take some decisive step; and this time they would have to follow it up and make it, so far as they were able, a reality; since no Chinese Government could be expected to survive another futile gesture such as that of the mandate of the 20th December, 1929.
American, French and Japanese Negotiations.
25. Such was the atmosphere in Chinese Government circles at this time, the middle of April. It seemed, indeed, that the Chinese Government, and especially the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Waichiaopu, were suffering from an extra-territoriality complex, and all manner of wild, and at times almost hysterical, talk was current as to what would happen if no settlement in the negotiations with the various Powers were reached by the 5th May. In actual fact, no serious detailed negotiations were at this time being carried on except with His Majesty's Government, between the Minister for Foreign Affairs and
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2001