Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1936, The Far East, Volume IV

893.00/13798: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Johnson)¹⁴

Washington, December 19, 1936—midnight.

86. Your 365, December 19, 11 p.m., especially paragraphs 5, 6 and 7. It is the view of this government that representatives of this and other foreign governments should proceed very cautiously in this matter and should make no guarantees which would make their governments responsible in case Chinese interference caused failure of an attempt by them to save lives and to guarantee security of lives, but you are authorized to collaborate with your British colleague in informing Kung of the willingness of this government in cooperation with the British Government and other governments, if any, to attempt to effect safe conduct of generals Chang Hsueh-liang and Yang Hu Cheng from, say, Tientsin to some point outside of Chinese soil, with the understanding that, if and when this safe conduct shall have been completed, the responsibility of this government in relation to the safety of lives of the persons thus evacuated would of course cease. Within the principles indicated above, details left to your discretion.

Moore

14. Notation by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs: “This has the approval in principle of Mr. Carr [Assistant Secretary of State] and the President.”