893.70/38: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Shanghai (Lockhart)
Washington, August 23, 1938—4
p.m.
500. Your 1116, August 16, 4 p.m., in regard to the establishment of Central China Telecommunications Company.
- 1.
- The Department’s position, as indicated in the last sentence of the first paragraph of the Department’s 509, December 23, 9 p.m., to London (quoted to you in the Department’s 693, December 23, 8 p.m.62), is that the responsibility for decision with respect to specific arrangements for the continuance of cable services must rest with the concerned company.
- 2.
- If the Commercial Pacific Cable Company should decide that it is not in position to meet the wishes of the Special Service Section of the Japanese forces at Shanghai, as indicated in the last paragraph of your telegram under reference, the American authorities would be prepared to give the company support by means of an appropriate approach to the Japanese authorities.
- 3.
- Please inform the American firm concerned in the above sense and continue to keep the Department informed of developments, including information in regard to the attitude of your interested colleagues.
Repeat to Chungking and Tokyo.
Hull
- Neither printed.↩