893.01/1–1949: Telegram

The Consul General at Canton (Ludden) to the Secretary of State

9. On January 16 local representative FonOff intimated that early move FonOff Canton was possible but he said he had not received specific information (reference Embtel 134, January 18, 11 a. m. to Dept, repeated Shanghai 65, Canton 4).

I am at loss to understand Vice Minister’s statement “adequate housing” for about 800 people of diplomatic corps has been secured here. My information is to effect that, aside from inadequate quartering arrangements made tentatively at Oikwan Hotel, FonOff representatives have made no efforts obtain housing for full diplomatic missions.

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Incidentally it is of some interest that on evening January 16 Rau-Yang Chu, Mayor of Canton, assaulted, mauled, threatened with death and forcibly evicted from Mayor’s official residence the special delegate of Ministry Foreign Affairs. I am not aware of all of the underlying animosity between these two individuals but it may be a reflection of the Mayor’s increasing irritability as the influx of officials from the north increases.

Sent AmEmb Nanking 14, repeated Department 9, Shanghai 17.

Ludden