Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1942, General; the British Commonwealth; the Far East, Volume I

390.1115A/670b: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Singapore (Patton)

Washington, January 26, 1942—5 p.m.

27. Department’s 197, December 26, 11 p.m.¹⁶ Similar allotments have been made to all Consulates at ports in British India, Australia, and New Zealand and to Rangoon, Nouméa, Suva, and Tahiti. Further to facilitate the repatriation of Americans from Singapore and other dangerous areas in the Far East, all of the foregoing and the offices referred to in the Department’s 197 have been issued blanket authority to issue emergency consular certificates if requested to do so by masters of American flag vessels to provide emergency accommodations for American citizens. The Maritime Commission has informed the Department that the owners and charterers of all American vessels calling at such ports have instructed their agents abroad to consult American Consuls respecting the issuance of such certificates whenever they may be required to enable a vessel to carry passengers in excess of the number permitted by the vessel’s certificate of inspection.

Department understands from your 376, December 20,¹⁷ that evacuation was then considered risky and that even official opinion was divided whether to inform the people of Singapore to risk the dangers of the sea transportation or the perils of remaining and that the choice to evacuate or to remain was one for each individual to make after weighing family and personal factors. Department has further noted that at the time your 376 was dispatched it was believed that all American women and children who wished to leave would be afforded transportation facilities before the end of December.

The Department is most anxious that Americans realize the danger of remaining and hopes that all Americans desiring to leave will have an opportunity to do so. It desires a current report on the situation, particularly whether any authorities are prohibiting American men, as you indicated they might in your 376, from availing themselves of such facilities for their evacuation as might have been or may be available on American vessels.

Hull

16. Not printed; it stated that the Department was making allotments to Batavia, Surabaya, Medan, Sydney, Ceylon, and Capetown for loans in connection with emergency repatriation or evacuation and temporary maintenance of American Citizens while awaiting repatriation (390.1115A/607).
17. Not printed.