Office of the Historian

893.48/1295: Telegram

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

Nanking, October 28, 1937—11 a.m.
[Received 11:20 a.m.]

862. 1. After consultation with Dr. B. Borcic, representative Health Department, League of Nations, and consultation between him and Minister of Health, Borcic has submitted following suggestions for use of funds remaining out of original Red Cross appropriation:

  • “(1) 400,000 first aid kits or packages, at 13 cents each, total 52,000 Chinese dollars. (These packages can be made locally, and would be distributed to the soldiers in the front line. The present supply is insufficient. Packages would be labelled: ‘Presented by the American Red Cross Society’).
  • (2) 10,000 cotton quilts, at $3.50 each total 35,000 Chinese dollars.
  • (3) 20,000 bed sheets, at $1.50 each total Chinese dollars 30,000.
  • (4) 10,000 pillows, at 30 cents each total Chinese dollars 3000. (These items can be purchased locally. The army hospitals all over the country are in need of bedding, because administrative procedure is slow and the Chinese Red Cross Society is not able to meet the requests it receives).
  • (5) Anti gas equipment total Chinese dollars 5000.
  • (6) Equipment of 500 bed isolation hospitals at Soochow Chinese dollars 25,000.
  • (7) Equipment of same at Tungkuan, Loyang, or Sian Chinese dollars 25,000.
  • (8) Equipment of same at Hsuchowfu Chinese dollars 25,000.
  • (9) Equipment of same at Hankow Chinese dollars 25,000. (There is a great need of isolation beds, both for soldiers and refugees. So far only Shanghai and Nanking have been able to meet the needs, but the anti epidemic units working in the fields report that without isolation hospitals their efforts will be greatly handicapped. It is therefore suggested that isolation hospitals be organized at the key positions where the masses of refugees are passing through, and where the anti epidemic units in the field could refer their contagious cases. The proposed amounts will be used for the purchase of necessary equipment. The Government will furnish the buildings, personnel, and running expenses). Grand total Chinese dollars 225,000.[”]

Embassy approved these suggestions as meeting most urgent present needs with exception that one item (preferably item number 3, bed sheets) should be reduced by Chinese dollars 5000 now being considered for Nanking University hospitals. Gauss has expended approximately United States dollars 22,000 (Embassy’s 842, October 21, 10 a.m., and Department’s 327 October 21, 6 p.m.20), United States dollars 10,000 has been expended for Canton (Embassy’s 786, October 9, 11 a.m., and Department’s October 11, 7 p.m. to Canton20 not received Nanking), making total of almost United States dollars 33,000 expended and leaving United States dollars 67,000 still to be expended. It is recalled that Department’s 279, September 29, 5 p.m. asked for suggestions concerning expenditures United States dollars 50,000 and Embassy forwards recommendations herein with hope that second United States dollars 50,000 can now be made available.21

3. [sic] Generosity of the Red Cross has occasioned much favorable comment in official Chinese circles and press. Embassy believes that all above recommendations, including item number 1, will be of value in connection with our policy of friendship for the Chinese people.

Johnson
  1. Neither printed.↩
  2. Neither printed.↩
  3. The Red Cross made the funds available to carry out the recommendations of the Ambassador.↩