393.1111 Stam, John C./29: Telegram
The Counselor of Legation in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 17—10:15 a.m.]
6. 1. On January 16, 5 p.m., I mailed to the Legation a report of a conversation at the Foreign Office held the same afternoon during which I was informed that the Ministry had received an official report that four of the communist soldiers who murdered the Stams74 had been apprehended, had confessed participation in the crime, and had been executed.
2. I have today again consulted the director of the European and American Department who made this statement hoping to get further details. Briefly he replied that this report was received from the Anhwei Provincial Government about 2 weeks ago and had not been communicated to the American Minister because the Ministry had sent for and was awaiting full transcripts of the record of the statements of the executed men and other details in order to be able to make a comprehensive reply to the American Legation. I pressed the director to state whether the Ministry believed that the executed men were actually among the murderers but he would only reiterate that the report had been officially received from the Anhwei Provincial Government. I expressed amazement that so important an item of information had not been immediately conveyed to the American Legation and stated that the Department is impatiently awaiting an account of the measures taken to apprehend the Stam murderers.
3. The Foreign Office has not released this information to the public.
- For details, see Foreign Relations, 1934, vol. iii, pp. 497–490, passim.↩