893.00/8232: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (MacMurray)
56. Your 131, February 11, Noon. You may instruct American Consul at Hankow in following sense:
With reference to conversation with Eugene Chen reported in your February 9, 6 p.m., you should take occasion orally to inform Chen that memorandum contained no proposal for the neutralization of Shanghai; that it definitely limited itself to a proposal that the area of “the International Settlement at Shanghai be excluded from the area of armed conflict”. This proposal in no way involves the release of any troops in that vicinity for use anywhere else nor does it involve in any way any discussion as to what troops may occupy [Page 73] or hold the area outside of the boundary of the International Settlement. The proposal is self-explanatory and should not be subjected to misinterpretation of this kind.