Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, The Far East: China, Volume VIII

125.0093/10–1349: Circular telegram

The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Offices ⁶²

Washington, October 13, 1949—8 p. m.

Chi Govt being notified re Brit protection US interests China where US Consulates close.

Peiping shld if pos informally notify central Commie auths re closure US Consulate Tihwa, ConGen Hankow, Brit take-over US interests; impending closure Tsingtao, Mukden ConGens, projected Brit take-over. Just prior closure any other offices Commie-occupied areas, Peiping shld make similar informal notification. Central Commie auths shld be currently informed re closure U.S. Consulates Commie-occupied territory, Brit take-over (except Dairen).

Tsingtao shld notify local Commie auths informally, just prior closure, re Brit take-over. View Ward’s⁶³ situation, not necessary he do so. Where possible, other offices closing in Commie-occupied territory shld informally notify local Commie auths.

Brit also being asked notify central Commie auths Peiping and local Commie auths re take-overs.⁶⁴

Acheson

62. At Nanking, Hong Kong, Chungking, Kunming, Peiping, Shanghai, Taipei, Tientsin, and Tsingtao.
63. Angus Ward, Consul General at Mukden. For documentation regarding the Mukden Consulate General, see pp. 933 ff.
64. The Chargé in the United Kingdom, in his despatch No. 1940, December 7, enclosed a copy of a letter of December 6 from the British Foreign Office stating that an informal communication on the closing of the American consular offices at Canton. Hankow, and Tihwa and the assumption by the British of the protection of American interests in those areas which had been addressed to the local Communist authorities in Canton had been returned without comment to the British Consul General there (702.4193/12–749).