893.00/8365: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 9—9:25 a.m.]
203. 1. My 201, March 8, 5 p.m.7 A report just received from the commanding officer of the United States Ship El Cano at Ichang, dated February 18, makes the following statement partially in connection with Yangtze River transportation:
“Antiforeign demonstrations are of daily occurrence and the entire populate are beginning to become antiforeign and very bitter against the British especially. All the demonstrations are practically anti-British and in general antiforeign. It is reported that within the next few days a general strike will be called and at the same time an [Page 262] absolute British boycott will be ordered. In all probability this boycott and strike will be effective on not only British business ashore and British steamers but on American steamers carrying British passengers as well. The days for the British, in fact all foreigners up this river, are numbered. It is my opinion that in the near future there will develop a strict boycott against everything British which will impede and possibly interrupt evacuation of British subjects in American ships. As the differentiation between British and Americans is negligible it is readily seen that this strike and boycott must eventually include all Americans too.”
2. I consider this a very sound estimate of the probabilities of the situation on the Yangtze and venture to invite the Department’s attention particularly to the last sentence of the quotation in connection with the withdrawal of Americans from Szechuan and all territory above Hankow.
- Not printed.↩