393.1111 Baker, Charles/40: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 25—4 a.m.]
Your 107, March 18, 6 p.m. Hankow’s 44, March 21, 4 p.m., reached me yesterday. It seems to me a dangerous undertaking for us to participate in a business of the hostages and I am wondering what the Department’s attitude in the matter will be. I am without any suggestion as to how to effect the release of Baker. The people who have taken him evidently consider him of importance for the purpose of obtaining money and supplies as has been done in the Nelson case. There will be no end to their demands.
2. I have asked Nanking to press the Foreign Office for action but have no confidence that pressure there will accomplish anything. Pressure at Nanking and the embarrassment thereby caused to the Chinese Government give further value to Baker in the eyes of his captors who are fighting the Government and use this means of gaining their ends.
3. I feel that we should do everything we can to discourage the presence of Americans in the river areas where Baker was captured for it is dangerous there and we are likely to have more incidents of this character if we encourage lone Americans to pass that way.