Office of the Historian

811.5293/5–747: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State

Nanking, May 7, 1947—9 a.m.
[Received May 6—11:30 p.m.]

980. Embassy suggests following course re second paragraph Department’s telegram 488 of April 25 (sent Shanghai 677):

That (1) Shanghai request Land Bureau grant blanket extension referred to in Embassy’s telegram 406 of May 3 to Shanghai, repeated to Department 952, in favor unknown American owners to allow reasonable time for publicizing and filing of claims to ownership;

(2) If extension granted, Shanghai transmit to Department necessary information to enable publicizing requirements and Department give as wide publicity as possible to this information;

(3) Embassy address note to Foreign Office stating that steps have been taken to give wide publicity to requirements but that notwithstanding these steps, a few cases may arise where owners, through no fault of their own, do not learn of requirements in time to claim ownership within the time established and that it is assumed that in such cases, owners will not be precluded from establishing claims to ownership following expiration of extended time limit;

(4) Embassy instruct Consulates by circular telegram to inform Department at once of establishment of deadline for property registration within their respective districts and to include at same time pertinent information re requirements to enable press release by Department.

In suggesting these measures, Embassy has in mind difficulty in continuing to request extension of deadline on the basis that reasonable time not allowed to bring requirements to attention American owners, if active publicity not undertaken when reasonable extensions are obtained.

Embassy would appreciate Department’s comments re foregoing and will not take steps contemplated in (3) and (4) above until Department’s reply received.11

Foregoing has been discussed with Dr. Bacon who concurs.

Sent Department 980; repeated Shanghai 414.

Stuart
  1. The course of action suggested was approved by the Department in telegram No. 544, May 8, 5 p.m. (811.5293/5–747).↩