Office of the Historian

893.00P.R.Hankow/27

The Consul General at Hankow (Lockhart) to the Minister in China (MacMurray)92

[Extract]
Hankow, October 1, 1929.
L. No. 842

Sir:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The local community was shocked by the news of the murder of three Belgian missionaries near Patung by bandits early in the month. This crime makes a total of seven foreign missionaries, three of whom were Americans, who have been murdered by bandits in this consular district within the last few months. I am endeavoring to impress upon missionaries, who call at this office on their way back to their stations in the interior, of the dangers with which they may be confronted on again taking up their work at remote stations.

There have been isolated cases of anti-foreign agitation, the outstanding case of this kind being in Hwaiking, Honan. Among the following [sic] slogans on the walls of a missionary compound at that place was found the following:

  • It is the aim of the revolution to drive out the foreign devil;
  • Drive out the foreign devil and recover liberty and power;
  • Strike down British Imperialists;
  • Exterminate the foreigner.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I have [etc.]

F. P. Lockhart
  1. Copy transmitted to the Department by the Consul General in his despatch No. 1231, of the same date; received November 9, 1929.↩