893.00/10934
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan (Neville)
Sir: The Department has received from the Consul General at Hankow a report by naval radio55 regarding the assistance rendered by Japanese naval vessels belonging to the First Squadron under the control of Vice Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai in evacuating American citizens from Hwangshihkang at the time of its capture by so-called “Communist” forces on June 13, 1930. It appears from the Consul General’s report that one of the American refugees, Father Ferrary, who had been seized by bandits, was saved only by the prompt action of Lieutenant Commander T. Torii, in command of the Imperial Japanese gunboat Toba. The gunboat Ataka, Commander K. [Page 143] Noguchi, and the gunboat, Kotata, Lieutenant Y. Wada, also rendered timely aid. The refugees were all finally collected on board the Nippon Yusen Kaisha vessel Tsurugisan Maru.
The Consul General further reports that he called personally on his Japanese colleague to express thanks to the naval authorities through him for the assistance rendered to the American citizens at Hwangshihkang and that he also expressed thanks in writing. The Department desires that the Embassy express to the Japanese Government in an appropriate manner the thanks of this Government for the effective aid rendered to American citizens by the Japanese naval officers above mentioned and by the master of the Tsurugisan Maru.
Very truly yours,
- Not printed.↩