893.51/4432 Suppl.: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Schurman)
244. Our 243, December 5, 4 p.m. The commander in chief of the U. S. Asiatic Fleet and the commander of the South China [Page 564] Patrol have been instructed by the Navy Department that it is important that the customs should not be seized by Sun Yat-sen. They are ordered to concentrate available ships at Canton for a naval demonstration and also to take necessary measures short of actual warfare. They are to cooperate with other powers for this purpose. The naval commanders are to be guided in general by the advice of the Consulate General at Canton and the Legation at Peking.