[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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America's former policy, and was taken without consultation with the British Legation at Peking, who had in the past been co-operating with the American Legation. The matter is possibly not one of great importance, but it shows an absence of purpose, coupled with a disregard of us, which cannot be ignored when we find ourselves accused of precisely similar offences.
I need hardly here refer to the action of the American Government in the matter of the Inpuang loan negotiation, nor to their inconsiderate determination, without consultation with His Majesty's Government, to convene an opium con- ference at The Hague, notwithstanding the fact that this country alone is really concerned in the matter of opium, and that we alone among all the Powers who will attend the meeting have made heavy pecuniary sacrifices in order to assist China. In the former case, as your Excellency knows, Ilis Majesty's Government did everything in their power to meet the wishes of the United States Government as far as was compatible with a fair and equitable arrangement. It is common knowledge that the long-protracted negotiations have enormously diminished the chance of getting the railway built, and it appears from recent despatches from Peking that Mr. Calhoun, the new American Minister, is less than lukewarm in his efforts to assist Mr. Max Müller and his French and German colleagues in the negotiations now proceeding at Peking with a view to inducing China to give effect to her promise of last year, and to complete the agreement come to with the three groups before the intervention of the Americans in the summer of 1909.
The foregoing observations are, of course, intended only for your Excellency's information; and I fully concur with you as to the extreme desirability of working with the Americans, and not imperilling our good relations with them in other parts of the world by adhering too literally to a policy of strict reciprocity in the Far East, At the same time, I should wish your Excellerey to understand in what a difficult position we have been placed by the recent policy of the United States in China, the only apparent result of which has been to draw Russia and Japan closer together, and at the same time to make the task of preserving the open door increasingly difficult.
You should lose no opportunity of assuring the United States Government of our desire to work with them in all matters in the Far East so far as circumstances in permit, and you should lay stress on our auxiety to maintain the status quo Manchuria, where any change of the kind feared by the United States could not fail to affect our interests quite as much as theirs in a most detrimental manner. This is the sense in which I have always spoken to the American Ambassador here.
A copy of your despatch will be sent to Mr. Max Müller, who will be asked to report in what way he thinks we could best achieve the result your Excellency has in
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AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
RECO ¡Rro
CONFIDENTIAL.
[September 27.]
SECTION 1,
[32420]
(No. 340.) Sir,
No. 1.
Sir Edward Grey to Mr. Max Müller.
Foreign Office, September 27, 1910. I TRANSMIT to you herewith a copy of a despatch which I have received from His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington in regard to the irritation felt in certain circles in America on the subject of the attitude adopted by His Majesty's Government towards the proposals of the United States Government for the construction of railways in Manchuria.
I also enclose a copy of the reply I have returned to Mr. Bryce,† explaining the position of His Majesty's Government in the matter, and I should be glad to receive from you any suggestions as to what action could be taken, which, without embroiling us with friendly Powers or needlessly damaging legitimate British interests in China, would yet enable us to soothe in some degree the irritation apparently at present felt
I am, &c.
in America.
* Mr. Bryce, No. 183, Angust 24, 1910.
[2893 dd-1]
E. GREY.
To Mr. Bryce, No. 288, September 22, 1910.
view.
I am, &c.
E. GREY.
200
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