893.00/11159
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Johnson)
Sir: The Department refers to the Legation’s telegram No. 777 [770] of August 30, 1930,96 and to preceding messages, in regard to the dropping of bombs on Peiping by two Nationalist planes on August 27, 1930.
Your decision, as reported in the Legation’s telegram No. 758 of August 28, 1930, neither to acknowledge nor to act upon a request made of the Senior Minister by the Chinese authorities in Peiping that he, in consultation with his colleagues, address a protest to Nanking in order that a similar incident may not occur in the future, seems evidently to have been based upon a desire to avoid the appearance of partiality in connection with hostilities between the National Government and the northern coalition.
The Department fully appreciates the desirability of avoiding all appearance of intervention on behalf of the Chinese authorities now in control of Peiping, but the fact must, of course, be recognized that large numbers of American citizens reside and have property in Peiping in accordance with their rights under the treaties. The Department assumes that if the lives and property of American citizens in Peiping appear to be subjected to imminent danger from the carrying on of operations which do not seem to have the justification of “military necessity”, by whatever forces, the Legation will take on their behalf measures similar to those already taken, for example, on behalf of American citizens in Chengchow, Taian and Tsinan, as reported in the Legation’s telegrams No. 333 of May 14, No. 630 of July 29, and No. 701 of August 15, 1930. It would seem that, for the present at least, the question of the possible necessity for giving advice to American citizens in Peiping to withdraw has not had to be given consideration.
Very truly yours,
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