393.1164/300
The Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck) to the Director of the Christian Medical Council for Overseas Work, New York (Edward H. Hume, M. D.)
Dear Dr. Hume: I have your letter of September 29 on the subject of the safety of the property of Yale-in-China at Changsha and the enclosure thereto, a copy of your letter of the same date to the Chinese Ambassador.69
With regard to the question of the safety of Yale-in-China at Changsha, I am pleased to inform you that upon the receipt of Dr. Lobenstine’s letter dated September 27, 1939,70 the Department instructed, by telegraph, the American Embassy at Peiping and the American Consulate General at Hankow to remind the appropriate Japanese authorities of the location of all known American properties at Changsha, including the properties of Yale-in-China. It is believed that full information in regard to the properties in question is in the hands of the Japanese authorities and our records indicate that a map of those properties was furnished the Japanese authorities in China on September 1, 1938.
[Page 276]In regard to your letter to the Chinese Ambassador, in the course of which you indicate that you are seeking an indication of my views with regard to the subject matter: You are suggesting to Hu Shih that a group of American private citizens might study the possibility of peace negotiations between China and Japan with a view to laying before him recommendations on which he might act officially. Your reference of the matter to me calls for and warrants, I believe, a frank expression of opinion on my part. Without going into the merits of the political objectives which you outline, may I say that I frankly doubt the desirability of activities at this time which might tend to involve private American citizens in the official affairs of not only one but several foreign governments. The issues to which you refer are of large international import, and the factors involved are many and complex. It has been our observation that participation by private citizens in deliberations on high governmental policies by officials of foreign governments has more often than otherwise had unfortunate results. We, not unnaturally, I am sure you will agree, feel that it is our first duty and the first duty of every American citizen to think and to act first of all toward safeguarding and promoting the real interests of the United States. That being the case, we feel that, if for no better reason than that of avoiding the crossing of wires, the best course that can be pursued by American citizens who feel inclined to make suggestions to officials of foreign governments on matters of high policy is first to confer with us toward ascertaining our views as to the practicability of so proceeding. We have no objection to your following the course which you have in mind, but, very frankly speaking, I have great doubt whether you would be likely to achieve anything constructive by doing that at this time.
With cordial regards [etc.]