390.1115A/12–1344: Telegram
The Appointed Ambassador in China (Hurley) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:37 p.m.]
2012. American Protestant missionaries [in] Chungking have on own initiative formed committee to consider situation and what action missions should take; have expressed to Embassy willingness to cooperate with American and British authorities; and have decided that some 50 American missionaries here are nonessential and should quietly and gradually withdraw. As CNAC planes to India are booked far in advance and only a very few Americans have been promised early passage, and as Air Transport officers at Kunming have informed Consulate General that space is available thence to India, we have laid matter before Wedemeyer who is agreeable to affording withdrawing Americans available space on ATC39 planes. We are taking up question of visas for India with British Embassy which is endeavoring to make appropriate arrangements and is also asking Indian Government that British Consul at Chengtu be authorized to issue visas for India to Americans who may desire to proceed direct therefrom and have facilities to do so.
For Department’s information, Foreign Minister recently told British Ambassador (ReEmbs 1983, December 9, 2 p.m.) that Chinese authorities would refuse to issue exit permits to withdrawing British nationals because withdrawal might adversely affect local Chinese morale. As our problem in this connection is essentially same as British, I have talked informally with Soong, pointing out that it would be better for apprehensive persons not to remain and communicate their [Page 210] apprehension to others, and I believe that as a result of our conversations neither Americans nor British nationals leaving here will experience difficulties in obtaining exit permits if they arrange for departure quietly and in small groups.
- U. S. Army Air Transport Command.↩