125.351/10–249: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Kirk) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 2—1:04 p. m.]
2481. Following note (reDeptel 717, October 1, 2 p. m., repeated Dairen 163) delivered to Foreign Office 5:45 p. m. today:
“No. 570. Excellency: I have the honor to refer to my notes numbers 518, 538 of September 10 and September 19, 1949, in which Your Excellency’s Government was informed of the decision of the United States Government to close the American Consulate at Dairen, and in which your Government was requested to facilitate this closure and the departure of the American and alien members of the Consulate’s staff, and their dependents. In my note of September 19, 1949, I brought to your attention the arrest on September 15, 1949, of the senior Chinese clerical employee of the Consulate, Mr. Chao Yi-hsien, and requested the assistance of the Soviet authorities at Dairen in obtaining his release.
“As a result of receipt by the Soviet authorities at Dairen of instructions referred to in your note on September 22, 1949, Consul Paul Paddock was informed by the competent Soviet authorities on September 27, 1947 [1949], that departure would be arranged by vessel from Dairen in the first days of this month. As no information could be obtained from the authorities as to the exact vessel or the date of departure, in order to facilitate closure of the Dairen Consulate and the departure of its staff my Government is arranging for a merchant vessel operated by the British firm of Butterfield and Swire to be diverted from a North China or Korean port and to call at Dairen for this purpose within the next 3 or 4 days.
“In view of the imminent arrival at Dairen of this British merchant vessel to take aboard the American Consul and his staff, it will be appreciated if Your Excellency’s Government, as a matter of urgency, [Page 925] will inform the appropriate officials at Dairen, requesting them to expedite clearance for the vessel and the issuance of exit permits to Consul Paddock, Vice Consul Gleysteen, and the alien staff members and their dependents.
“Please accept, Excellency, etc.”
Sent Department 2481, repeated Dairen 41.