123 Ward, Angus I.: Airgram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 25—11:12 a. m.]
A–2186. Following is the substantive portion of a letter of November 22, 1949 from the Foreign Office describing the efforts of the British Pro-Consul in Mukden to assist Consul General Ward and in general protect American interests in Manchuria:
“The present position is as follows. On the 4th October the United States Consul General at Peking, apparently on instructions from the State Department, formally notified Graham, our Consul-General in Peking, that we had agreed to accept custody of United States Government property at Mukden. Our Consulate-General at Mukden has for some time been in charge of a Pro-Consul, and Graham at once wrote to inform him and to say that pending receipt of formal instructions the Pro-Consul would presumably do anything he properly could to assist Ward. On the 19th October the Pro-Consul informed the Chairman of the North-East People’s Government accordingly and asked for early permission to interview Ward in order to discuss details of property to be placed in the Pro-Consul’s custody. On the 25th or 26th October, immediately after the announcement in the local press that Ward would be tried in the People’s Court, the Pro-Consul again wrote to the Chairman renewing his request for an interview and asking permission to assist Ward and his staff and to be present at any hearing of the case. The Pro-Consul has received no reply to either letter, and does not expect to receive one.
Formal instructions are now being issued to the Pro-Consul to do what he can, but I am sure you will realise that it is very doubtful whether he will be able to do anything effective either to help Ward or to look after United States Government property in Mukden. We understand that there are now no United States citizens in Manchuria other than Ward and his staff.”