393.1115/12–848: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Cabot) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 8—8:15 a.m.]
2703. [To Nanking:] Embtel 1281 [1231,] Decembers.1 Navy has never shown slightest disposition to claim that emergency evacuation plan should be put into effect without my full agreement and I am sure that Admiral Crawford will raise no trouble in this respect in revision of plan. I shall, of course, endeavor to get Ambassador’s agreement before declaring situation requires implementation of plan. Nevertheless, I appreciate designated authority Embassy gives me since time may be of the essence and moreover way events are now shaping up suggests that I may be altogether cut off from Embassy if and when crisis arises here.
All difficulties which have arisen so far in preparing original plan and in discussing its revision have been due to fact that conflicts have inevitably arisen between military necessities which Navy had envisaged and political and civilian necessities upon which I have felt compelled to insist. There is every disposition on each side to view other’s viewpoint sympathetically and I am confident that we can work out our problems.
My principal concern is to have a new plan ready for implementation at earliest possible moment in order that we may have no embarrassing gap between time we are no longer able to implement old plan and time we have effective new one ready.
Sent Nanking 2023 repeated Department 2703.