811.91293/185: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 23—9:35 a.m.]
484. Following from the Minister, Nanking, June 21, 1 p.m.:
“In a conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs yesterday, latter referred to return of Hallett Abend to China, quoting from the press interview published in Shanghai in which Abend was reported as stating that many American businessmen seen during his recent visit to the United States favored intervention in China and said that the return of Mr. Abend to China was a direct challenge to the Chinese and that he was constrained to ask me to have him sent out of the country. I told Dr. Wang that I knew of no way whereby either I or the Government at home could legally cause the deportation of Mr. Abend from China as deportation was not a process recognized under our law. Dr. Wang stated that although he knew that it would be impossible to deport Mr. Abend, he nevertheless must ask me to assist them by doing what I could to see that he was sent away. He remarked that were extraterritoriality abolished China would have quickly shown Mr. Abend the door.”