393.1115/12–648: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Cabot) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 6—2:54 p.m.]
2665. Deptels 207792 and 2078, December 2. Navy with Consul General’s assistance has prepared detailed plan for protection and possible emergency evacuation of Americans from Shanghai area. Plan calls for 5 stages.
- 1.
- Preliminary.
- 2.
- Precautionary, after disturbances start.
- 3.
- Concentration.
- 4.
- Evacuation.
- 5.
- Evacuation of military; stages 3 and 4 to be put into effect by Senior Naval Officer and Consul General in agreement and if possible after consulting Embassy.
Plan calls for Consul General to notify American citizens if and when precautionary stage declared; Consul General has prepared alternate means of notification to function even after utilities not functioning. Americans would be told to proceed to collection points at which they would be processed by Navy teams with Consul General’s assistance and taken under armed convoy to protected concentration points where they could be fed, quartered and evacuated if this proves necessary; require Armed Forces to be primarily supplied by Navy and JUSMAG with possible reinforcements from outside. Forces would, of course, be used only to assure safe evacuation of Americans, citizens and not either to maintain public order or to protect American property. Intermediate evacuation point probably Fukuoka, Japan.
Some 3 months ago we formed a small civilian committee to consult with us and aid us in certain essential features of plan. On November 30, I called together a group of some 50 leaders of American community and described to them points in plan which it seemed desirable that American community should know, for example:
Alternative means of notification by groups, and list of what Americans should bring with them to points of collection. We are keeping further points of plan confidential for the present because (1) we do not wish to be overwhelmed by stampede of other nationals seeking refuge, (2) we do not wish possibly interested groups to interfere with smooth operations of our plans and (3) see below.
Prospective withdrawal of JUSMAG from Shanghai area is necessitating drastic revision of plans and Admiral Crawford93 in command of evacuation is just returning from conference with Admiral Badger. Navy confronted with need of assuring protection of points essential to smooth operation of plan has reduced up-town collection points to one. I have insisted that Americans must have at least two alternate up-town points at which they can find temporary refuge. We are now hard at work making necessary revisions in original plan. Until this last development we have been steadily well ahead of British and other countries in our planning. We hope to establish protected routes between American, British and French collection points. British plan is substantially similar to ours but lacking adequate armed support it has had to depend more upon civilians and has therefore received considerable publicity. Consul General has always informed American citizens that we, as all posts, have emergency plan but I [Page 917] feel that Department is right in thinking November 30 meeting tended to assure American community further.
Some feeling in American community that it should be entrusted with larger share in execution of plan, but Navy believes greater degree of civilian participation might result in confusion. I have made it emphatically clear and Navy concurs that plan will not be put into operation without my express agreement.
Sent Department 2665, repeated Nanking 2009.