393.11/2120a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Johnson)
271. Canton’s October 18, 4 p.m.21 With reference to the arrangements which Canton states have been made for the placing of a naval sentry at the gate of Hackett Memorial Hospital, the Department questions the advisability of the plan. Although in emergencies naval personnel has fulfilled the function, when circumstances render it feasible, of assisting in the evacuation of Americans to points of concentration, the stationing of a sentry at an outlying point as in this instance would seem to be contrary to general practice. In our opinion the presence of a sentry at Hackett would not in the contingency mentioned by Canton ensure the immunity of the hospital and its occupants but would rather create a risk of involvement of our Navy [Page 504] with the combatants and would thereby tend to complicate the task of affording appropriate protection to American citizens in general.
If in the light of the foregoing you or the Consulate General at Canton feel there are circumstances which render the carrying out of the plan desirable, please telegraph your views in order that the Department may give the matter further consideration.
Please instruct Canton in accordance with the foregoing.
- Not printed.↩