393.1162 Wuhu Clinic/2: Telegram
The Third Secretary of Embassy in China (Allison) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 29—1:30 p.m.]
142. My 138, July 26, 11 a.m.36 A letter has been received from Dr. Brown38 giving details of the incident at Wuhu. According [Page 422] to this letter, the incident was the culmination of a series of interviews with the Japanese authorities about the spies of the clinic, which had been reopened on July 11. The clinic is located at present in a chapel, belonging to the same mission as the hospital, which had been occupied for some time by Japanese Army units but which had been formally returned to the mission at the end of May. The clinic building now flies the American flag and bears a promise from the Japanese Consul stating it is American property and should be protected as such.
On July 20th Dr. Brown was questioned by a Japanese military policeman about the clinic and replied to all questions. On July 24th, he was asked to go to military police headquarters where he was informed by a junior officer that the clinic should cease operation until application has been made to the Japanese for permission to operate it. Dr. Brown replied that the Japanese Consul knew of the operation of the clinic, and that while he was willing to furnish the Japanese any desired information and even have the clinic registered he saw no reason why the work should be stopped during the obtaining of such registration. After some discussion he was given registration blanks which he had filled out and returned to the authorities the same afternoon. On the afternoon on July 25, the hospital was informed that another copy of the application blank was desired but this news was apparently received too late to enable the hospital to comply prior to 4 o’clock, the hour at which the military police office closed.
Dr. Brown was informed at about 4:30 p.m., that two soldiers and an officer had come to the clinic and asked Dr. Morgan39 to go to their headquarters to discuss the matter. Dr. Morgan replied that administrative matters were not his concern and he referred the soldiers to Dr. Brown at the hospital. The officer then ordered the soldiers to take Dr. Morgan to police headquarters. The two soldiers grabbed Dr. Morgan, twisting his arms painfully, and forced him to accompany them. Dr. Brown went at once to the clinic to investigate and then started to the police station. En route he met Dr. Morgan who had been released and the two of them went to the Japanese authorities and protested. Dr. Brown concludes his letter with the statement: “We expect to continue going to the clinic.”
Up to the present no reply has been received from the Japanese Consul General to my note of July 26, informing him of the incident and requesting an investigation.
Sent to Hankow, repeated to Peiping and Shanghai. Shanghai please repeat to Tokyo.