893.00/142651: Telegram
The Consul General at Canton (Linnell) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 5—7 a.m.]
The following telegraphic summary for September prepared for Peiping is forwarded as of possible interest to the Department.
“Japanese air raids continued on South China during the month with the main force of their attack turned to Kwangsi and Kwangtung [Page 488] Provinces where air bases, military concentrations and the principal cities of Wuchow, Liuchow, Nanning, Kweilin and Kweiyang were heavily bombed. The most disastrous raids were made on Wuchow, Kwangsi, with the university, 2 middle schools, various industrial plants badly damaged, some 300 houses destroyed and casualties of over 300 reported. Canton-Hankow and Canton-Kowloon railways less intensively attacked and their service maintained with but few interruptions. Suburbs of Canton bombed several times and on September 27th one of remaining water plants put out of operation greatly diminishing city water supply.
Japanese naval units continued reconnoitering, shelling and small scale attacks on Kwangtung coast and Hainan Island. Waichow Island situated in Gulf of Tong-king about 25 miles south of Pakhoi, Kwangtung, occupied in middle of month was abandoned on September 27. Sancho and Ladrones Islands still occupied and reported that effective air bases have been developed there.
On 17th during severe raid on Wuchow, Kwangsi, 21 bombs were dropped on the Stout Memorial Hospital property of the South China American Baptist Mission there with a direct hit on hospital, on the roof of which an American flag was painted, and other buildings also badly damaged. A protest was sent by the Consul General to the Japanese Consul General at Hong Kong. On 9th Japanese planes also dropped a bomb in the compound of the Presbyterian Mission at Hoihow, Hainan Island, and on 10th, Standard Vacuum Oil Company’s office there was bombed and machine gunned.
Property of Southern Baptist Mission at Kweilin, Kwangsi, evacuated except for one building by Chinese forces after protest by Consul General. Informal representations were also made to have Chinese soldiers vacate school adjoining Hackett Memorial Hospital in Canton.
[Here follows report on domestic conditions in Kwangtung.]