893.711/15: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 25—10:45 a.m.]
139. Legation’s 125, February 21, 3 p.m. Following from Nanking:
“As Minister of Foreign Affairs is in Shanghai, not returning until Monday, I handed your message to Vice Minister Tong this morning, who promised to telegraph the gist thereof to Wang.
Tong stated that the action against the Star had been taken at the instigation of the Tientsin Special Municipality Party Board and was the result of a misunderstanding; further that yesterday Ministry of Foreign Affairs had taken up the matter with Central Executive Committee which had agreed to instruct the Tientsin Party Board to lift the ban; and that he believed it would be lifted within two or three days.
Privately Tong expressed to me both Wang’s and his great concern over this action against a newspaper toward which they entertained the most cordial feeling.”
For the Minister