390.1115A/201
The Secretary of State to Dr. A. L. Warnshuis, of the International Missionary Council, New York
My Dear Mr. Warnshuis: The Department is in receipt of information to the effect that a considerable number of American missionaries in the Far East are desirous of heeding the suggestion recently made by the Department that Americans in China (including Manchuria), Japan (including Korea), Hong Kong and French Indochina withdraw to the United States, but that they lack the authorization of their mission boards and sufficient funds from those boards to return.
The Department’s suggestion for the withdrawal of Americans, particularly women and children and men whose services are not considered urgently or essentially needed, was made in view of the continuance [Page 951] of an abnormal situation in the Far East which has adversely affected general living conditions and conditions of order and has disturbed and interfered with the legitimate commercial, cultural and philanthropic activities of American citizens.
As the regular steamship lines serving the Far East were booked to capacity for some time to come, the Department, in order to provide additional transportation facilities for Americans withdrawing, arranged for the dispatch to the Far East of three special ships, the Monterey which has already called at Yokohama and Shanghai, the Mariposa which is en route now from Shanghai to Chinwangtao, Jinsen and Kobe, and the Washington which is now en route to Shanghai and possibly other ports in the Far East. The fares for passage on board these ships have been established at rates equal to those for similar accommodations on regularly-operated ships in the transpacific passenger trade, with lower rates being charged for emergency accommodations on board. The arrangements for the dispatch of the three ships have involved a considerable commitment by the Government to cover financial loss incurred by the steamship companies operating their vessels on these special voyages and, as a loss of a minimum of several hundred thousand dollars will result, passengers will receive transportation at less than actual cost.
In view of the situation in the Far East as above indicated and considering the expensive arrangements which the Government has made to furnish sufficient shipping for withdrawal and the advisability of American citizens taking advantage of transportation facilities while such facilities are available, the Department earnestly hopes that Americans in the areas in the Far East mentioned will heed its suggestion that they return to the United States. Toward that end it is equally hoped that the church authorities will speedily consider the granting of the necessary authorization and funds to permit the return to the United States of those members of their organizations in the Far East who desire to heed the Department’s suggestion for their withdrawal.
The Department will appreciate it if you will kindly bring the foregoing to the attention of the various Protestant missionary boards in the United States.8
Sincerely yours,
Assistant Secretary
- An oral statement along similar lines was made on November 15 by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton) to the General Secretary of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, Washington.↩