Office of the Historian

393.1163Am3/64

The Consul General at Canton (Jenkins) to the Minister in China (MacMurray)45

Canton, March 28, 1929.
No. 791

Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith copies of correspondence between this Consulate General and representatives of the American Catholic Mission in Kwangtung Province46 concerning the intervention of Father Mueth47 in a case in the Chinese courts affecting certain native converts. It will be observed that as soon as this Consulate General was informed of Father Mueth’s action it addressed a letter to Bishop Walsh48 pointing out the danger of such a course and urging that Father Mueth and other members of the mission be instructed not to interfere in proceedings of this sort in the future.

A copy of Bishop Walsh’s letter is enclosed46 and although it is somewhat vague it is believed to agree with the principle that missionaries should under no circumstances interfere with judicial proceedings involving only Chinese interests.

It is thought that this correspondence may be of interest to the Legation49 and the Department.

I have [etc.]

Douglas Jenkins
  1. Copy transmitted to the Department by the Consul General in his despatch No. 1429, of the same date; received April 27, 1929.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. Rev. Edward V. Mueth, of the Maryknoll Catholic Mission, Taan On, Hoingan, Toishan, Kwangtung.↩
  4. Bishop James E. Walsh, Kongmoon, Kwangtung. The letter was dated March 14, 1929.↩
  5. Not printed.↩
  6. The Minister in China on April 15 replied that “The Legation has noted the contents of your despatch with interest and fully concurs in your statement of March 14, 1929, to Bishop Walsh”; received by the Department without covering despatch on May 25 (393.1163Am3/64).↩