393.11/1682
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 24.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose for the Department’s information a copy of my personal letter of July 17, 1934,62 to General Ho Yingchin, Chairman of the Peiping Branch Military Council, with reference to a rather ambiguous reply made by him to a letter from Consul Atcheson at Tientsin in regard to steps which had been taken more adequately to protect American citizens sojourning or traveling in the Western Hills and other districts not far removed from Peiping. There is also enclosed a copy of General Ho’s personal reply62 which clarifies the ambiguity contained in his letter to Consul Atcheson and gives assurance that effective measures have been taken to insure such protection of American citizens.
From personal observation I am aware that, as a result of General Ho’s orders and those of General Yu Hsueh-chung, the Provincial Chairman, the Western Hills area is now policed in a seemingly very effective manner with numerous patrols etc., which policing, it is hoped, will go far toward obviating a repetition of incidents such as the recent one which resulted in the death of Dr. J. H. Ingram63 at the hands of local bandits, five of whom paid the death penalty on August 14th.
Respectfully yours,