500.A 4 e/464: Telegram
The American Delegation to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:15 p.m.]
Conference 10. Chinese delegates this morning presented the following resolution:81
“The contracting powers other than China hereby declare their recognition of China’s right to enjoy tariff autonomy.
China hereby declares her intention to abolish likin and further declares [that] the Chinese national tariff law will come into force upon the abolition of likin.”
We objected because we have no power to commit our Government. British delegation proposed the following for incorporation in the preamble of the instrument bringing into effect the 2½ and 5 percent surtaxes contemplated by the Washington treaty.
“The delegations of the contracting powers, other than China, having declared their intention to recommend to their respective Governments the immediate adoption of a treaty which shall recognize the principle of China’s right to enjoy tariff autonomy, and China having declared her intention to abolish likin, it is agreed that the treaty [treaties] shall provide that the Chinese national tariff law shall come into effect upon the abolition of likin.”
We indicated our approval but the Chinese considered it unsatisfactory.
In the end the drafting of a formula embodying the sense of the conference with regard to tariff autonomy and the abolition of likin was referred to a subcommittee consisting of C. T. Wang, Strawn, Hioki, Macleay and Oudendijk.82