793.94/4646: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 9—11:30 a.m.]
174. Referring to my telegram No. 173, March 9, 3 p.m.
1. The Senior Consul has received from the Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council a copy of a letter dated March 8 addressed by him to the Mayor of Greater Shanghai. This letter in full is as follows:
“I have the honor to invite your attention to the grave danger arising from the disorganized and insanitary state of those portions of Chapei which, as the result of the recent conflict, have been left without any sanitary or other essentials of public service. In particular I would emphasize that in those portions of Chapei abutting on the Settlement, and in the area adjoining North Szechuan and Dixwell Roads, any further delay in restoring sanitary conditions constitutes the grave menace to the health of the Settlement and of the whole of Shanghai. The Settlement has recently been threatened with a very severe smallpox epidemic which was largely due to imported cases, and it is feared that with the complete paralyzing of the normal conservancy and sanitary arrangements in the Chapei area, the health of the whole community will be endangered.
Insofar as its assistance has been requested in sending the municipal fire brigade and obtaining a water supply to check the spreading fire, the Council carried out what was obviously a public duty. As it has already indicated to officials of your municipality, the Council would further welcome the immediate initiation by you of sanitary work in the areas concerned, and would gladly cooperate in whatever way it could be of assistance.
Whilst the Council assures you that it has no desire to function even temporarily outside the limits of its own administration, it feels, however, that if nothing is done immediately to remove the menace to health in the contiguous areas it will be compelled of necessity to make a survey of the problem and take steps to render such sanitary supervision and service as may be required under the circumstances.
As you are already aware of the position I hardly need assure you further that the Council is solely actuated by the desire to assist and cooperate with you in a matter of public duty which, in the interest of humanity, must be undertaken by some organized body.”
2. The chairman transmits the letter to the Senior Consul apparently as information only as he requests no action. There is no doubt but that the existing conditions in Chapei are a grave menace to the health of the Settlement due to the insanitary conditions and the absence of water supply. There is not the slightest doubt but that a large number of the foreign ratepayers would welcome the extension even temporarily of municipal functions to include Chapei. Some members of the Council do hope that out of the present undeclared [Page 541] war the Settlement extension will result. It would appear that the menace to the health of the Settlement should be removed but if the Chinese are not permitted to function as a municipality by the Japanese then the latter should be held responsible for the performance of municipal functions so that the menace to the Settlement would be removed.
3. On March 3rd Fessenden called and stated that he had been instructed to begin to discuss with me the possibilities of extending municipal functions to Chapei in order that disease might be prevented from entering the Settlement therefrom. He emphasized at that time the necessity of introducing sanitation there although he referred to other municipal functioning. At that time I informed him that I would be very glad to convene the consular body, if he desired it, when he would present the matter fully to them. This he did not desire at the moment. I emphasized at the time the importance from a municipal standpoint of securing immediate control from the Japanese marines and military authorities of Hongkew and Yangtzepoo and extra-Settlement Roads now being occupied by Japanese. I emphasized the importance of the strengthening of municipal functioning on extra-Settlement Roads in the western district since the Chinese police were perhaps functioning less effectively on adjacent territory than they had been.
Repeated to the Legation. Copy to the Minister.