Nelson T. Johnson
Encyclopedia
Nelson Trusler Johnson was the United States ambassador
to the Republic of China
prior to World War II
, and to Australia
during World War II.
He spent a part of his early life in Newkirk, Oklahoma
and then Kildare, Oklahoma
. He then returned to Washington to complete his schooling at Sidwell Friends School
near 8th & I Street NW. He then went to George Washington University
and pledged to the Delta Tau Delta
fraternity. In his freshman year he decided to take the Foreign Service Examination, claiming his residency as Oklahoma. Successful, he received an appointment to the Foreign Service
of the United States as appointments were made based on one's home state. He spent his entire adult life in the service of his government. Although he specialized in China and the Far East
, first as a student interpreter, then as consular officer, Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs, next as Assistant Secretary of State, and then as Minister and Ambassador on assignments to China leading up to World War II and to Australia during World War II. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/po/11552.htm.
, then as Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, to China. During those years he contributed heavily to determining the conduct of US relations with that country, based primarily on Johnson's personal papers in the Library of Congress
and the published and unpublished State Department records that address his activities over the 1925–1941 period emphasizing his ideas and suggestions regarding American policy to that country.
Johnson made major contributions during the Coolidge
, Hoover
and early Roosevelt
administrations. He favored going as far as American interests would allow in helping China regain her sovereignty
and he consistently guided Secretaries of State
Kellogg
and Stimson
on a moderate course in their policy.
Under Kellogg, Johnson continually opposed interference in the civil war in China. He opposed joining the British
at Canton
and Hankow in punitive measures against Chinese strike pickets and other nationalists. He opposed harsh or recriminatory action against China during the Nanking Incident of 1927. He advocated conciliation in answering China's note of June 1925 requesting treaty revision. He suggested going as far as possible, unilaterally if necessary, in writing a new tariff
treaty, and favored gradual relinquishment of extraterritoriality
.
Under Secretary Stimson, Johnson made a significant contribution when, as American Minister in China, he influenced the Secretary's policy during the Shanghai affair
. His advice that the United States make a statement in favor of upholding the terms of the Nine-Power Treaty
was chiefly responsible for Stimson’s letter of February 1932 to Senator
William E. Borah.
In the mid-1930s Johnson's influence continued although other officials gained ascendancy as policy became more Japan
ese oriented. During this period, he grew increasingly impatient with Japanese aggression and began suggesting a reappraisal of American policy toward Japan. Not yet recommending that she assume any responsibility for the Chinese, he merely advocated United States rearmament and reconsideration of its intention to grant independence to the Philippines
.
By the end of the decade, Johnson openly advocated material support for China. The Chinese had then established a measure of order, had demonstrated a will to resist Japan and he believed they deserved support. His descriptions of the events of the war and of China's valiant fight were instrumental in the decision to grant assistance.
, China
(then called Peking). Second daughter of Wyoming pioneer George T. Beck
, she was born October 21, 1900, in Cody, Wyoming
. She died February 28, 1991, in Washington, D.C. at age 91. They were married in Peking and were then registered at the US Consulate in Tientsin, China, October 10, 1931.
He made the cover of Time
in 1933. http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101391211,00.html
Both Nelson and Jane are buried in Rock Creek Cemetery
near the Old soldiers' home
in N.E. Washington D.C.
Ambassadors from the United States
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to individual nations of the world, to international organizations, to past nations, and ambassadors-at-large.Ambassadors are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate...
to the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
during World War II.
Early life and career
Johnson was born in the family row house located at 1st and East Capitol Street (now a part of the location of the United States Supreme Court) in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He spent a part of his early life in Newkirk, Oklahoma
Newkirk, Oklahoma
Newkirk is a city in Kay County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,243 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kay County.-Geography:...
and then Kildare, Oklahoma
Kildare, Oklahoma
Kildare is a town in Kay County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 92 at the 2000 census.It was named after the town and county of Kildare in Ireland.-Geography:Kildare is located at ....
. He then returned to Washington to complete his schooling at Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School is a Quaker private school located in Bethesda, Maryland and Washington, D.C., offering pre-kindergarten through secondary school classes. Founded in 1883 by Thomas Sidwell, its motto is "Eluceat omnibus lux" , alluding to the Quaker concept of inner light...
near 8th & I Street NW. He then went to George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
and pledged to the Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
fraternity. In his freshman year he decided to take the Foreign Service Examination, claiming his residency as Oklahoma. Successful, he received an appointment to the Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
of the United States as appointments were made based on one's home state. He spent his entire adult life in the service of his government. Although he specialized in China and the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, first as a student interpreter, then as consular officer, Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs, next as Assistant Secretary of State, and then as Minister and Ambassador on assignments to China leading up to World War II and to Australia during World War II. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/po/11552.htm.
Early influence on Far Eastern policy
Johnson first became intimately involved in shaping American policy toward China in 1925 when he assumed the office of Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs in the State Department. From 1928 to May 1941 he was first assigned as Minister PlenipotentiaryPlenipotentiary
The word plenipotentiary has two meanings. As a noun, it refers to a person who has "full powers." In particular, the term commonly refers to a diplomat fully authorized to represent his government as a prerogative...
, then as Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, to China. During those years he contributed heavily to determining the conduct of US relations with that country, based primarily on Johnson's personal papers in the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
and the published and unpublished State Department records that address his activities over the 1925–1941 period emphasizing his ideas and suggestions regarding American policy to that country.
Johnson made major contributions during the Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
, Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
and early Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
administrations. He favored going as far as American interests would allow in helping China regain her sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
and he consistently guided Secretaries of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Kellogg
Frank B. Kellogg
Frank Billings Kellogg was an American lawyer, politician and statesman who served in the U.S. Senate and as U.S. Secretary of State. He co-authored the Kellogg-Briand Pact, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 1929..- Biography :Kellogg was born in Potsdam, New York, and his family...
and Stimson
Henry L. Stimson
Henry Lewis Stimson was an American statesman, lawyer and Republican Party politician and spokesman on foreign policy. He twice served as Secretary of War 1911–1913 under Republican William Howard Taft and 1940–1945, under Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the latter role he was a leading hawk...
on a moderate course in their policy.
Under Kellogg, Johnson continually opposed interference in the civil war in China. He opposed joining the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
at Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
and Hankow in punitive measures against Chinese strike pickets and other nationalists. He opposed harsh or recriminatory action against China during the Nanking Incident of 1927. He advocated conciliation in answering China's note of June 1925 requesting treaty revision. He suggested going as far as possible, unilaterally if necessary, in writing a new tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
treaty, and favored gradual relinquishment of extraterritoriality
Extraterritoriality
Extraterritoriality is the state of being exempt from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations. Extraterritoriality can also be applied to physical places, such as military bases of foreign countries, or offices of the United Nations...
.
Under Secretary Stimson, Johnson made a significant contribution when, as American Minister in China, he influenced the Secretary's policy during the Shanghai affair
January 28 Incident
The January 28 Incident was a short war between the armies of the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, before official hostilities of the Second Sino-Japanese War commenced in 1937.- Naming :...
. His advice that the United States make a statement in favor of upholding the terms of the Nine-Power Treaty
Nine-Power Treaty
The ' or Nine Power Agreement（Chinese:九國公約） was a treaty affirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China as per the Open Door Policy, signed by all of the attendees to the Washington Naval Conference on 6 February 1922....
was chiefly responsible for Stimson’s letter of February 1932 to Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
William E. Borah.
In the mid-1930s Johnson's influence continued although other officials gained ascendancy as policy became more Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese oriented. During this period, he grew increasingly impatient with Japanese aggression and began suggesting a reappraisal of American policy toward Japan. Not yet recommending that she assume any responsibility for the Chinese, he merely advocated United States rearmament and reconsideration of its intention to grant independence to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
By the end of the decade, Johnson openly advocated material support for China. The Chinese had then established a measure of order, had demonstrated a will to resist Japan and he believed they deserved support. His descriptions of the events of the war and of China's valiant fight were instrumental in the decision to grant assistance.
Personal life
Johnson married Jane Augusta Washington Thornton Beck in BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(then called Peking). Second daughter of Wyoming pioneer George T. Beck
George T. Beck
George Washington Thornton Beck was a politician and business entrepreneur in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Beck was born on 26 June 1856 in Lexington, Kentucky, the son of Jane Augusta Washington Thornton and James Burnie Beck, a congressman and US senator from Kentucky.Beck, Horace C. Alger, and...
, she was born October 21, 1900, in Cody, Wyoming
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
. She died February 28, 1991, in Washington, D.C. at age 91. They were married in Peking and were then registered at the US Consulate in Tientsin, China, October 10, 1931.
He made the cover of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
in 1933. http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101391211,00.html
Both Nelson and Jane are buried in Rock Creek Cemetery
Rock Creek Cemetery
Rock Creek Cemetery — also Rock Creek Church Yard and Cemetery — is an cemetery with a natural rolling landscape located at Rock Creek Church Road, NW, and Webster Street, NW, off Hawaii Avenue, NE in Washington, D.C.'s Michigan Park neighborhood, near Washington's Petworth neighborhood...
near the Old soldiers' home
Old soldiers' home
An old soldiers' home is a military veteran's retirement home, nursing home, or hospital, or sometimes even an institution for the care of the widows and orphans of a nation's soldiers, sailors, and marines, etc.-United States:...
in N.E. Washington D.C.