Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1934, The Far East, Volume III

393.1163 Am 32/68: Telegram

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

Washington , July 20, 1934—6 p.m.

221. Department’s 216, July 18, 5 p.m.⁶⁰

1. Dr. Robbins, foreign secretary of the mission, called today and discussed case with officers of the Department. He stated orally that he would (a) send a telegram to the mission at Bana instructing William M. Young to leave China at once and (b) instruct Vincent Young to refrain from corresponding with British authorities in Burma and from making lengthy trips into the interior during the present disturbed period and until some of the agitation against the mission has died down.

2. Dr. Robbins stated also that he would write to Dr. Herman Liu, President of the Shanghai (Baptist) University, who is familiar with the past history of this case, asking that he intercede with his friends among the Chinese officials at Nanking to the end that the work of the mission might be continued under the direction of Vincent Young.

3. Dr. Robbins also stated that the mission would welcome a thorough investigation of this case by a responsible Chinese official for the purpose of verifying or disproving the charges which have been raised against the mission. He would prefer a joint investigation by both Chinese and American officials. The Department, however, did not give encouragement to that suggestion on account of the inaccessibility of the region where the mission is situated and on account of the fact that, even if the results of such an investigation were favorable to the mission, it would probably not remove the friction existing between the local officials and the present members of the mission.

4. In reply to the communication which the Legation has received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Legation should inform it of the action which the home office of the mission has stated that it would take, and should state that, following conference with a responsible official of the mission in the United States, the Department believes that the sole purpose of the mission as such is to carry on missionary work in accordance with the provisions of the treaties between the United States and China, and that there has not been deliberate intent on the part of the mission to interfere in the political affairs of China. You should then request that the Chinese authorities telegraph the local authorities, directing that they accord protection to the members of the mission and to the native Christians in accordance with the provisions of Article 14 of the Sino-American Treaty of 1903.⁶¹

5. Inform Yunnanfu and keep Department informed in regard to developments.

Hull

60. This telegram reported: “The Department is expecting a call on July 20th by a representative of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society in regard to the Youngs.”
61. Signed at Shanghai, October 8, 1903, Foreign Relations, 1903, p. 91.