Office of the Historian

893.00/9599: Telegram

The Chargé in China (Mayer) to the Secretary of State

Peking, November 19, 1927—5 p.m.
[Received November 19—1:45 p.m.]

1013. Hankow consulate general’s October 30 [31], 10 p.m. to the Department.

1.
A series of conferences held with Lockhart, with naval attaché40 and Davis41 present, to explore possibilities of reopening consulates at Changsha and Chungking and/or establishment of consular representation at Ichang, have resulted in unanimous concurrence in Lockhart’s recommendations. It was further brought out that the return [Page 314] of consular officers would unquestionably have a tendency to cause Americans to return prematurely to points which are still dangerous often involving hazardous journeys on bandit-infested rivers. Mr. Hopkins, the head manager for the Standard Oil in China, recently told Lockhart at Shanghai that his company had abandoned all idea for the present of a resumption of activities in the region under discussion, because of conditions now obtaining there. Accordingly it is recommended that thought of consular representation at Chungking and Ichang be abandoned for the present and that such representation which, in my opinion, should first be intermittent in character under Lockhart’s authority and discretion be reestablished at Changsha at such time after Lockhart’s return to Hankow as he may deem advisable in light of future developments.
2.
Meanwhile Lockhart specifically, and the Legation in general, will keep closely in mind the matter of resumption of consular representation on the upper river to the end that it may be recommended to the Department at the earliest moment expedient.
3.
As regards the reestablishment of British representation at Chungking it is ascertained that this is regarded largely as an experiment concerning the success of which the British authorities are not at all sanguine, notwithstanding the presence of three British gunboats at and above Ichang, protection and assistance not presently available to us.
Mayer
  1. Capt. George T. Pettengill.↩
  2. John K. Davis, consul at Nanking.↩