OUTWARD TELEGRAM
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be
kept under Lock and Key.]
293
F 2757/74/10
SECRET
DEPARTMENTAL NO.2.
[CYPHER]
No. 2559
FROM FOREIGN OFFICE TO WASHINGTON.
19th April 1942
D. 12.16 a.m. 20th April 1942
Repeated to Chungking No. 551.
Confidential.
Your telegram No. 2159 [of 12th April: Extraterritoriality in China].
On further consideration we have come to the conclusion that present moment is not suitable for taking the initiative over extraterritoriality. There is every indication that at the present stage of the war action of this kind would be construed as a sign of weakness and would fail to produce desired effect. We feel that we must wait until the tide begins to turn against Japan.
2. His Majesty's Government and the United States Government have both announced that they will negotiate the abolition of extraterritoriality when peace is restored in the Far East and the Chinese may be content to leave the question in abeyance until then. If in the meanwhile, however, the Chinese Government themselves decided to raise the issue the position would be different and we should respond sympathetically.
3. At the same time we do not want to be forestalled by independent action on the part of the United States and I shall be glad if you will now approach the State Department with an explanation of our attitude and try to secure a promise of prior consultation if the United States Government should themselves desire to act. In this connexion you might refer to the exchange of correspondence with the United States Embassy in London in 1937 in which we concurred in the suggestion of the State Department that the two governments might advantageously continue as in the past to collaborate with each other on the question of extraterritoriality. See Foreign Office despatch to Washington No. 696 of 1937.
4. Ashley Clarke is full conversant with the subject and can give further explanation if desired, but there is no need to wait for his arrival.
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