393.11/1501
The Acting Secretary of State to the Consul General at Hankow (Adams)
Sir: The receipt is acknowledged of your despatch No. 111, of February 24, 1932,31 enclosing copies of the confidential circular addressed under date February 19, 1932, to American citizens in the Hankow consular district on the subject of the evacuation of American citizens from dangerous localities. You suggest that the Department send a copy of the circular to each of the mission headquarters named on a list enclosed with your despatch.
The Department has from time to time made known to mission boards in the United States the nature of the practice and procedure followed by American diplomatic and consular officers in China in regard to the question of the evacuation of American citizens from places of danger. The Department therefore questions the advisability of sending a general notice to individual mission organizations in the United States on each and every occasion that a consular officer issues a warning to American citizens within his district. If on any particular occasion certain American citizens representing American mission organizations refuse to heed consular advice, the Department would be prepared, upon being informed to that effect, to consider taking the matter up with the organization or organizations concerned. When a consular officer considers that such action by the Department would be helpful, the Department suggests that it be informed of the facts by telegraph, as information forwarded by mail is often out of date by the time it reaches the Department.
Very truly yours,
- Not printed.↩