793.94/5844
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hornbeck) of a Conversation With the Chinese Appointed Minister (Sze)
Dr. Sze called and wanted to know whether, now that the Secretary has returned, I could give him any indication of developments in connection with the telegram (of which he had given me a paraphrase copy)81 from Dr. W. W. Yen suggesting the desirability that the American Government make a declaration of attitude.
I said that the matter had been given consideration but that as yet no conclusive decision had been arrived at. The considerations contra which I had mentioned when he first came to me about the matter were considerations of weight and it was problematical whether a statement on our part might not do more harm than good. Surely our attitude could not with warrant be regarded as doubtful.
At that point, Dr. Sze mentioned an article in this morning’s New York Herald-Tribune by John T. Whitaker from Geneva (I find this article in the Tribune of January 13, under date line Geneva January 12, headline: “League Ready To Surrender On Far East”), in which Whitaker says that the diplomats who shape Geneva policy are agreed that conciliation is hopeless and have drafted a formula for concluding the League of Nations’ consideration of the controversy and that French and British quarters are justifying abandonment of the non-recognition policy on the score of lack of indication of the position [Page 58] of the United States. I said that I had not seen the article but that I doubted whether that kind of a conclusion would be reached by the League. Dr. Sze said that he wished very much that I could give him some message of encouragement to send to Nanking. I said that all that I could say for the moment was that my own view at this moment of the possibilities at Geneva was optimistic rather than pessimistic; but that, if it became possible for me to say more, I would promptly call him up.