893.00/11955: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Johnson)
125. Your 533, May 16, 7 p.m., last paragraph, and Amoy’s telegram to Legation relayed to Department under date May 15, 11 p.m.
Reference Department’s 155, April 25, 9 p.m., to Shanghai, for the Minister, and earlier communications referred to therein.
The Department feels it desirable to avoid as far as possible the appearance or the fact of refusing to cooperate with other powers in measures which may seem reasonably conceived for the preservation of the order and safety of the International Settlement of Kulangsu in the presence of a threatened attack by unauthorized and irregular Chinese armed forces. If the presence landed there [sic] of foreign armed forces will tend to give locally a sense of security and to discourage an impending attack, we favor the landing and temporary presence there of such forces and we believe that American forces should share in the undertaking. We realize that there is a possibility that, once the various units are landed for that purpose, one or another of the countries represented may, when the emergency has [Page 514] passed, give evidence of reluctance to withdraw. We feel that such a hazard must be incurred and such a consequence, if it develops, be dealt with in due course. We feel that a policy of cooperation at the outset is preferable to one of non-cooperation and is more likely to enable us to influence the course of events as the situation develops. On the basis of all the information available here, we see no need, in the situation as it now stands, for proceeding immediately to evacuate.
The above point of view has been discussed with the Navy Department, and the Navy Department concurs.
Please communicate the above immediately, as representing this Department’s view, to the Commander in Chief.