893.00/13292: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State
Nanking, November 27, 1935—9
a.m.
[Received 10:30 a.m.]
[Received 10:30 a.m.]
112. Hankow’s November 25, 5 p.m.
- 1.
- Under date October 26 Embassy informed Foreign Office in formal note21 that it understood lives of Americans in Sikang were endangered because of grave conditions there, furnished names of Americans believed to be in Kangting (Tachienlu) and stated that Harden-Brooke, Thorne and Knoblaugh were understood to have started from Chengtu to Kangting. Embassy requested that instructions be issued to appropriate authorities to afford adequate protection to American citizens in the troubled area.
- 2.
- Subsequent information reported by Hankow was communicated to Foreign Office by informal letter to Department of European and American Affairs November 15, and that Department replied under date November 18 that Foreign Office had telegraphed Szechuan and Sikang Provincial Governments who had replied that the local authorities had been instructed by telegraph to afford protection and that, while Harden-Brooke had reached Tachienlu 2 weeks before, Thorne and Knoblaugh had not arrived at Yaan. The letter added that the Ministry was again telegraphing the Szechuan Provincial Government to take steps to protect the Americans at the various places.
- 3.
- Information in Hankow’s November 25, 5 p.m. is being communicated to Foreign Office by a further letter of today’s date.
- 4.
- Embassy understands that a Chinese American named Jack Young is also in vicinity of Tachienlu conducting some kind of expedition and has so informed Hankow.
- 5.
- Repeated to Peiping.
Peck