811.5034 China—Searchlight Publishing Co./9: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham)

223. Your 336, July 14, 9 a.m.

1.
You should ask Isaacs to call at the Consulate General and inform him (a) that his campaign of criticism and vilification of the Chinese Government, which may reasonably be interpreted as an attempt to incite rebellion against that Government, is a gross abuse of his privilege as an American citizen residing in China and is seriously prejudicial to the interests of the United States and its nationals in China; (b) that the Chinese authorities have properly complained of his attacks on the Government of China and have requested the suppression of his offending publication; (c) that he has forfeited any right of protection by the Government of the United States with respect to his publication and, if the present policy of that publication is continued, the registration of the Searchlight Publishing Company as an American enterprise will be cancelled and this Government will not intervene to prevent action by the Chinese authorities against his publication for the purpose of suppressing it.
2.
Inform the Legation.
Stimson