893.00 Tsinan/40: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11 p.m.]
332. 1. Following from consul at Tsingtau:
“May 9, 8 p.m. Train with foreigners from Tsinanfu arrived here last night with 15 Americans on board. Americans now remaining [Page 266] at Tsinanfu are 7 missionaries including 1 woman, 2 businessmen, and Consuls Price and Stanton. According to a Standard Oil Company representative from Tsinanfu, as soon as the Japanese sent the ultimatum to Chiang [Kai-shek],9 British and German consuls saw the Japanese consul and insisted upon a train to take foreigners away, and this was readily granted.”
Dorsey, May 9, 1 p.m., states that on May 5th Japanese vice consul called to inform him of cutting of the railway in 10 [places] and “left me with the impression that upon the arrival of the Japanese railway regiment, the Japanese would seriously consider the operation of the road temporarily in agreement with the Chinese authorities and without establishing a neutral zone.”
2. American consul general at Canton reports that on May 8th while agitation for anti-Japanese boycott continued there was no disorder and the situation seemed easier.