393.1163/1044: Telegram
The Ambassador in China ( Johnson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:56 p.m.]
[To Shanghai:] Your January 25, 2 p.m.5 and Department’s 22, January 28, 8 p.m., both to Chungking, copies of which are being airmailed to Hong Kong.
Since October 7, 1940 Embassy has consistently declined to facilitate travel of American citizens from occupied to unoccupied China. On December 17, three members of the “Advisory Committee on transposition and placement of missionaries” sponsored by the National Christian Council called at the Embassy at the request of the Embassy and were given the substance of the Department’s 206, December 12, 1940, 10 p.m. to Chungking.6 The impression mentioned in your telegram under reference that there would be no objection to removal of “a limited number of urgently needed missionaries to West China” undoubtedly arose from the indication in the Department’s telegram December 12 that the Department realized that there might be a real need for “some additional personnel”.
In this connection it may be observed that on several occasions members of the committee have expressed the opinion that Americans applying in Shanghai for transit visas for Hong Kong have been refused such visas at the behest of the American Consulate General at Hong Kong. On each occasion the Embassy has informed the committee that it knows of no such arrangement between American and British officials in Hong Kong and has suggested to the committee that its Hong Kong representatives endeavor to obtain the facts before giving further currency to this theory.
Sent to Shanghai. Repeated to Department, Peiping, Hong Kong.
- Not printed.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1940, vol. iv, p. 955.↩