393.1162/94: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Johnson)
258. Your 667, September 16, 10 a.m.57 Reference your paragraph 1. Whether the status of the hospitals under reference would [Page 349] be materially affected by acceptance of financial support from the Chinese Government would seem largely to depend on whether such support would be granted on conditions which would place the institutions substantially under the control of the Chinese Government. In such an event the hospitals could not reasonably be regarded as American institutions while Chinese control continued.
However, if the institutions to which you refer are bona fide American hospitals and if the acceptance of financial assistance from the Chinese Government would not involve any surrender of the American management and control of the hospitals and would enable them to continue their normal service to all persons whom they now serve irrespective of nationality, the acceptance of financial assistance from the Chinese Government could reasonably be regarded merely as a recognition by the Chinese Government of an obligation to compensate the hospitals for the abnormal burden placed upon them in the treatment of Chinese soldiers and would not therefore appear to have any material effect on the status of the hospitals as American institutions.
Reference your paragraph 2. You are requested to state to the Minister of Health and Medical Services that, as he is doubtless aware, American official personnel in China and American radio communications are greatly overtaxed and that it would be extremely difficult for this Government to afford an affirmative response to the Minister’s inquiry. However, in the event that other means of communication become unavailable this Government would assist by accepting, for transmission by its facilities, during periods of such interruption, the texts of messages from and to the Chinese Red Cross strictly of the type indicated.
- Not printed.↩