393.11/1468: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 26—9:55 a.m.]
112. Referring to my telegram number 93, February 23 [21], noon, I am pleased to report that effort is now being made to coordinate efforts of various national and municipal evacuation committees. The coordination of the British and American and Shanghai Municipal Evacuation Committees is advancing satisfactorily. Yesterday in company with Major Arthur Bassett, Chairman of American Evacuation Committee, I called upon French Consul General for the purpose of making arrangements for coordinating American organization with the French municipal organization. It was pointed out to the French Consulate General that there were more Americans in the French Concession than in the remainder of Shanghai and the American school was a matter of our greatest solicitude. The French Consul General designated a member of the Municipal Council to meet with, work out a practical scheme for cooperating with American and other committees. He undertook definitely to provide military and police protection from concentration camps to place of evacuation should extreme emergency become necessary. It was also proposed that all nationals should, if extreme emergency arose, determine and simultaneously issue notice to evacuate, that there should be no individual action, and at his suggestion it was agreed that the moment for evacuation should be determined by consular body meeting. This has the approval of the American committee and myself.
I have been exceedingly anxious lest hunger should assist the Communists in bringing about riots in the foreign Settlement and, therefore, I inquired whether there was any indication of want in the French Concession and was surprised to learn that there was less than one-fourth the refugees today and no destitution as compared with 2 weeks ago. I suggested that some [I?] had considered presenting to the National Flood Relief Commission the proposal that public kitchens should be established and that the wheat for the Famine Flood Relief should be used in supporting these kitchens.
Repeated to the Legation.