124.93/406a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Johnson)
11. The Department has been giving thought to the question whether it might be advisable for you to leave Hankow at this time and proceed in first instance to Shanghai. At present the only practicable means of egress from Hankow would seem to be by rail to Canton and if you should proceed by this route the Japanese should be notified of the fact and of the time of your departure. You would also wish to give appropriate notice to the Chinese Government. There are of course involved a number of considerations among which may be mentioned (a) the desirability of remaining near the Government to which you are accredited; (b) the reaction of the Chinese Government and of the Chinese people to a move by you from Hankow; (c) the question of the likelihood of the Chinese Ministry for Foreign Affairs and other high Chinese Government officials moving farther inland; and (d) the question whether you could move from Hankow now with less of repercussions than would be likely to occur at some future date. It would seem advisable to avoid if possible having you in the position of being isolated at Hankow with the Chinese Government withdrawn farther into the interior. The Department has no fixed opinion in this matter but desires to receive from you at the earliest practicable moment an expression of your views. In reporting, please indicate what governments now have diplomatic representatives at Hankow and state the rank of each government’s [Page 814] senior diplomatic representative there. Should you feel it wise for you to leave Hankow now, would it seem advisable to have part of the Embassy staff remain at Hankow?