Commenta on the message from the Department of State dated 1st December.
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The Foreign office nɔte that in regard to coastal trade and inland navigation the Department of tate have indicated to the Chinese three posibl methods of proceeding and have requested the Saited States Ambusesfor at Shungking to show the Chinese sinister for Foreign Affaire the draft artiolc m naviyati m prviously contemplated by the Department for inclusion in the treaty.
The Foreign Office greatly prefer the original auggesti m made in the Department's communication to the Chinese Imbassy of 27th November. Bir Morace seymour has been requested to make a similar proposal and we propose that he should make every effort to see re its acceptance. We trust that the department State will feel able to de
the same.
The
if this camnot be achieved we should prefer that the whole matter should be reserved for the later comprehensive treaties as sugrested in the Department's third course. worst solution from our point of view would be the inclusion of an article on the lines proposed, since its insertion in the Uni ́ed tales treaty would make it much more difficult for us to obtain an understanding whereby the existing practice or some part of it would be retained on a reciprocal basis.
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