393.1111 Baker, Charles/69: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham)
144. For the Minister. Your April 15, 11 a.m., April 15, 7 p.m. and April 16, 5 p.m.36 Much of the information contained in your telegram of April 15, 11 a.m. had been previously reported to the Department. It is suggested that you instruct all offices reporting on this case to keep both you and Department informed.
[Page 494]The Department desires that the importance which it attaches to this case be made known vigorously not only to Soong but also to other ranking Chinese officials including Chiang Kai-shek. Using Department’s telegram No. 140 of April 13, 6 p.m. as a basis for action, Department desires that you proceed to Nanking at once and that you send a ranking officer of the Legation’s staff, whose primary duty will be the prosecution of this case, to the place or places where his efforts will be most likely to achieve success.
Department desires that you inform Chinese Government in writing as under instruction from the Department as follows:
“It has now been known to the Chinese Government and the American Government for 3 months that Captain Charles Baker has been in the hands of Chinese bandits and that these bandits are threatening to take Captain Baker’s life if a ransom is not promptly paid. The American Government has communicated frequently with the Chinese Government in regard to this matter. The Chinese Government has frequently affirmed its intention to act vigorously and promptly toward effecting Captain Baker’s release. In the opinion of the American Government such action as has been taken exhibits characteristics neither of sufficient vigor nor of sufficient promptness. It now appears that the captors have become increasingly insistent in their threats to take Captain Baker’s life.
As the Chinese Government has already been informed, the American Government does not desire to stipulate a particular course of action to be followed by the Chinese Government but, in view of the renewed indications that Captain Baker’s life is in imminent danger, the American Government is impelled to suggest that compliance with the demands of Captain Baker’s captors that ransom be paid appears to offer the most likely means of obtaining the prompt and safe release of this American citizen. The American Government regards this case as urgently important. It expects of the Chinese Government every reasonable effort, both as regards time and as regards means.
The American Government does not wish to be compelled through evidence of negligence on the part of the Chinese Government to form an unfavorable judgment with regard to that Government’s capacity and sense of responsibility.”
Before proceeding to Nanking you should make it known that you will return to Shanghai within a few days but you may use your own discretion in making known the object of your trip to Nanking.
Department cautions against any impression being created that any of its representatives were concerned with or had any responsibility in connection with the withdrawal of Captain Baker’s funds on deposit with the National City Bank at Shanghai.
The Department has noted that certain information in regard to the Baker case has been given out in China and suggests that you may wish to caution consular officers and others against any embarrassing [Page 495] publicity. No information has been or will be given out by the Department which might prove damaging to the successful handling of this case. Captain Baker’s relatives from the outset have been cautioned in this regard.
Give this matter priority and keep Department fully informed.
- Telegram of April 16, 5 p.m., not printed.↩