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29
374
From
CHINA
Decode.
D.
Sir M. Lampson, (Nanking),
12th December, 1931.
9.00 p.m. 18th December, 1931.
R. 4.45 p.m. 19th December, 1931,
No.385. (R),
Extraterritoriality.
Minister for Foreign Affairs raised this with me
this morning. For internal political reasons it was
very desirable to clarify the position and give
opposition no pretext on which to attack Hanking
Government in addition to their Manchurian policy.
He understood in June last his predecessor and I had
practically reached agreement save on one major point.
When the time came to resume negotiations presumably
we would start from that point. He now had it in
mind to write me a letter (not a note) of enquiry into
our position so that we might make it clear why we con-
sidered it inopportune to proceed further with the
negotiations,
2. I replied that the reasons why we could not
resume at present were sufficiently obvious. If he
felt that it would help his Government to have our
position recorded I would put suggestion before His
Majesty's Government but advised him to hold his hand
as regards proposed letter until I had y our reaction.
His Majesty's Government who had other far more im-
portant issues to tackle had not yet considered their
oxtraterritoriality policy and it was right to warn
him
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