“石礼文案”与美国对华军火禁运

The James Slevin Case and the U.S.Arms Embargo Against China

1922年12月4日,美国驻华长江舰队在汉口江面查扣了一艘载有美制飞机的货轮,以违反军火禁令为由,逮捕了美国商人石礼文,并将其交由美国驻华领事法庭进行审判,是为"石礼文案"。此案是列强对华十年军火禁运时期(1919-1929)作为最重要参与国之一的美国,首次以强制的手段,查扣本国售往中国的可被用于军事用途的装备的事件。从飞机出口许可证的申请,到美国驻华领事法庭对石礼文的审判,美国国务院、驻华外交官及石礼文本人之间频繁互动,反映了禁运初期美国政府在对华飞机出口问题上的矛盾态度。此案发生在美国试图对禁运进行强化、态度逐渐强硬的关键时期,但其对石礼文的严肃处理却并不足以促使其他参与禁运的国家持同样的立场,禁运也就不可避免地走向失败。

On December 4,1922,the U.S.Yangtze River fleet seized a steamer carrying American-made aircrafts in Hankou,an American businessman James Slevin was arrested on the grounds of a violation of the arms embargo and sent to the American Consular Court in China for trial.This is the"James Slevin Case".It was the first time that the United States,one of the most important participating countries during the ten years of the arms embargo(1919-1929)against China,seized the equipments that could be used for military purpose in China by coercive means.From the application for the export license of aircrafts to the trial for James Slevin by the American Consular Court in China,the frequent interactions among the U.S.State Department,diplomats in China and James Slevin reflect the contradictory attitudes of the U.S.Government on the issue of aircraft exporting to China in the early stage of the embargo.This case happened in a critical period when the United States tried to strengthen the embargo and gradually take a tough stance.However,the United States’ dealing seriously with James Slevin was not enough to make other Great Powers involved in the embargo to take the same position,and the embargo went to failure inevitably.