893.00/11954: Telegram
The Consul at Amoy (Franklin) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 16—12:35 a.m.]
Following sent to Legation:
Referring to my telegram of May 11, 2 p.m., and my despatches [Page 512] numbers 44 and 43 dated May 6th last, respectively,54 and previous regarding protection of International Settlement at Kulangsu, at a consular meeting this noon the British Consul read a telegram which he said he was sending to his Minister recommending the landing of forces at once from the British naval vessels for protection of the International Settlement in cooperation with police; the French Consul stated he received instructions yesterday authorizing the landing of French naval forces at present as question of the defense of the Settlement considered by his Minister preferable to evacuation; Japanese Consul stated that he was requesting instructions from Tokyo authorizing landing of Japanese naval forces now as he approved of the plan to defend Settlement rather than evacuation. The above is outgrowth of our refusal to land in cooperation with other naval forces to defend Settlement except as preliminary to evacuation.
The instructions set forth in the Minister’s telegram of May 2, 11 a.m., in reply to my telegram of May 1, 10 a.m., as well as his telegraphic instructions of April 29, 9 a.m.,55 are explicit and have been explained to my colleagues but I believe they are now agreed to permit independent action instead of cooperative action as the Kulangsu Municipal Council states that they are unable to obtain more police or more funds for policing Kulangsu. Situation in and around Amoy remains substantially as set forth in my telegrams of May 11, 2 p.m., May 8, noon,56 May 3, 10 p.m., May 3, 4 p.m., and especially May 3, 1 p.m. [a.m.]
The situation, as I see it, does not at present call for landing of naval forces for evacuation purposes.
Apparently my colleagues have been instructed to favor defense of or have reason to believe that their governments will defend International Settlement by landing naval forces at once to assist police and thus prevent necessity for total evacuation. I am aware of seriousness of present Communists’ menace to lives and property of Americans and that this menace may increase and become active in which case our naval force can land within undertakings but other naval forces might take longer as their present anchorages not so near to landings and bad weather might also cause them delay and these reasons also urged by my colleagues as necessity for having naval force ashore.
Conference regarding concerted action to [for?] counteracting Communists held today at Amoy by Generals Chang Chen, Chen Kuo-hui and Yang Feng-nien, Admirals Chen Chi-liang and K. K. Lin.
I inspected three refugee camps in Settlement this morning and found people apparently contented and cared for. Settlement and Amoy quiet.
Above wired to Commander Paul H. Rice, commanding U. S. S. Tulsa.