893.012/32
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in China ( MacMurray )
Sir: The Department has received your despatches, No. 1521 of May 31, 1928, and No. 1524 of June 2, 1928,71 together with their enclosures, relating to the dual nationality of American citizens of Chinese origin.
With reference to your despatch No. 1521, there is enclosed for your information a copy of the Department’s instruction of May 22, 1928, to the American Consul General at Canton, China.72 You will observe that the Department has not instructed the Consul General that American citizens of Chinese origin must have certificates of expatriation from the Chinese authorities before being registered in American consulates but has expressly stated that the Consul General “should not make it a condition that a certificate (of expatriation) be submitted by a person having both Chinese and American nationality who applies for registration or for a passport.” It is [Page 587] believed that the Department’s instruction to Canton is consonant with the view expressed in your despatch No. 1521.
With reference to your despatch No. 1524, in which you refer to despatch No. 5502 of May 18, 1928, from the American Consul General at Shanghai addressed to the Legation, a copy of which latter despatch together with its enclosures has been received in the Department,73 it is suggested that you transmit to Mr. Cunningham, for his information and guidance, a copy of the Department’s instruction of May 22, 1928, addressed to the American Consul General at Canton. The Department concurs in general in the views expressed by Mr. Cunningham in his communication of May 12, 1928, addressed to the Commissioner of Foreign Affairs for Kiangsu, [at] Shanghai, a copy of which was enclosed with Mr. Cunningham’s despatch No. 5502.
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