693.1115/11–1748: Circular telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Officers63
For Emb guidance following is text pertinent part letter being addressed National Foreign Trade Council and Far East American Council in reply business inquiries re Dept’s desires and views concerning maintenance their offices and essential personnel China:
“The American Embassy at Nanking and American consular offices in China have advised American nationals in their districts who are not prepared to remain under possibly hazardous conditions in areas where they now reside that they should plan at once to move to places of safety. These warnings were issued on the basis of their judgment of the situation, and in performance of their normal duty of pointing out the dangers of such situations to American nationals. The Department approves their action and concurs in their opinion that unnecessary risks should not be incurred by American nationals whose presence in China is not essential. This advice was directed to those Americans who have no compelling reason to remain.
For its part the Department does not at this time contemplate any change in the present functioning of any of its Consulates in China, which will continue to afford their usual facilities to U. S. citizens and firms. The evacuation of Embassy and consular dependents in China is being left entirely to the discretion of the officers and employees concerned.”
- The Ambassador at Nanking; the Consuls General at Shanghai, Tientsin, Peiping, Hankow, Tsingtao, and Canton.↩