393.1111 Nelson, Bert N./147
The American Minister in China (Johnson) to the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Lo)23
Excellency: I have the honor to refer to the capture of the Reverend Bert Nelson, an American citizen, on October 5, 1930, and to bring to the attention of Your Excellency yet another instance of the deplorably ineffective and dilatory manner in which this case has been handled by the Chinese authorities.
[Page 487]Your Excellency will recall that when it became evident that the Chinese Government was unable to take effective measures to rescue the Reverend Nelson, representatives of the Mission to which he belonged succeeded, with much difficulty, in raising the sum of $4,045 with which to ransom him. This together with a considerable quantity of medicines was to be delivered to the bandits through the medium of certain Chinese members of the Mission. The necessary permits were secured from the military authorities and the Magistrate of Kwang-shan, Honan, who also furnished an escort of local militia. To the everlasting disgrace of the Magistrate, the militia robbed the party bearing the ransom of both money and medicines. Even more disgraceful is the fact that in spite of all the efforts made by the American Consul General at Hankow to induce the provincial authorities to force the Kwangshan Magistrate severely to punish the local commander of militia and those involved in the robbery and to effect the return of the money and medicines stolen, nothing whatever has been done, the culprits not now even being held in jail.
For the information of Your Excellency there are enclosed copies of the Chinese text of two communications addressed by the Mission’s representative to the Chairman of the Honan Provincial Government,24 giving a detailed account of the robbery and the inaction and shameful corruption of the Magistrate, who appears to have been bribed by the commander of the militia. There is also enclosed a copy of the Chinese text of a statement prepared by the gentry and inhabitants of various villages south of Kwangshan24 substantiating the facts set forth by the Mission’s representative in the two letters mentioned, which were transmitted to the Chairman of the Provincial Government by the American Consul General at Hankow. Due to the venality and inaction of the Magistrate at Kwangshan, the American Consul General requested the Chairman of the Provincial Government to have the case transferred to the provincial capital for a fair and just trial, but his request was refused.
I am constrained to point out that the Reverend Nelson has now been in captivity for a year and a half, during which period not only has the Chinese Government been unable to effect his release, but efforts made by his fellow workers with anxious care and sacrifice have been brought to naught by the venality and inaction of a Magistrate of the National Government and the thievery of the local forces directly responsible to him. The least that can be done is to take immediate and effective measures to punish the Magistrate and the culprits involved and return the money and other articles stolen. To [Page 488] this end it is requested that the most stringent instructions be issued forthwith.
I avail myself [etc.]
Counselor of Legation