493.11 Skinsnes, Casper C./4

The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

No. 2586

Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s instruction No. 1273, of January 15, 1934, relative to securing payment by the National Government of pecuniary losses sustained by Doctor Casper C. Skinsnes in connection with his efforts to procure the release of Reverend Bert Nelson, who was captured by Chinese communists in Honan in 1930, and to enclose herewith copies of my communication to the Counselor of Legation, Nanking, of February 16, 1934, and his reply thereto of March 6, 1934.58 It will be noted that in the memorandum of his conversation with the Director of the Department of European and American Affairs Mr. Peck states that this official informed him that the latest information received from the provincial authorities [Page 470] in this case was that they would recover the money. Should this optimistic statement be fulfilled the Department will be informed immediately, as it will be of any progress in this case.59

Respectfully yours,

Nelson Trusler Johnson
  1. Enclosures not printed.
  2. The Minister in China in his despatch No. 311, March 14, 1936 (493.11 Skinsnes, Casper C./5) reported the payment on February 19, 1936, by the Chinese Government of $4,000 Chinese currency in settlement of this claim, while at the same time reserving the question of responsibility in the matter.