811.91293/160: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (MacMurray)

235. Department’s 229, July 12, 4 p.m.

1.
The Acting Managing Editor of the New York Times under date of July 16 wrote to the Acting Chief of the Washington Bureau in reference to the Abend matter saying in part “As to the proposed answer to the demand for his deportation, we have no objection whatever to any trial or investigation of the charges against him by any fair and impartial tribunal and we assume that the Consular Courts are such, or Minister MacMurray would not suggest such a course. Abend himself has given us the sources of the information on which he based the statements contained in the two despatches which have been cited in the attack on him and we are satisfied that they justified its use. Therefore we are confident of the outcome of a hearing before any unbiased arbiter. Will you so please inform Secretary Stimson?” By the term “Consular Courts” the New York Times intended to include all American courts in China.
2.
The Department authorizes you to reply to the note of the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs dated June 17 along the lines indicated in your 556, July 10, 7 p.m., paragraph 3, making such additions thereto based upon the passage quoted from the letter of the New York Times as you may consider advisable.
Stimson