493.11 Ekvall, Henry/81: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 22—2:55 a.m.]
1372. Your 397, December 19, 5 p.m. Following are excerpts from letter from Stanton dated December 17 and a telegram December 21, 3 p.m.:
The Provincial Government is making an earnest effort to apprehend [Page 559] Chen Te-lu and the others but in the absence of any reliable clues their task is a most difficult one. Of Chen Te-lu and the car there is absolutely no trace whatever. The apprehension of the other criminals, who, although probably the actual murderers, were merely carrying out Liu’s orders, appears equally difficult. Only four of these are actually known by name and of these Liu stated that two had been killed in an encounter with Provincial troops and that he had lost track of the others during the course of a further engagement and could not say whether, they were still alive or not. There is reason to believe that the authorities are desirous of apprehending the criminals still at large. The confession of Liu and the implications which naturally flow from it constitute a devastating exposé of the negligence and incompetency of the Shensi authorities. But the very completeness of the expose is a factor which engenders a desire to apprehend the other criminals and thus partially to rehabilitate themselves in the eyes of Nanking and General Chiang whose good opinion they are solicitously courting at this critical time. It is felt that the exemplary damages demanded constitute a potent form of pressure and that its application by the Legation from time to time will augment the desire of the authorities to apprehend the criminals still at large. Neither Colonel Hang nor local authorities have any information regarding Chiang’s reported visit.
2. I feel that under the circumstances little good can be accomplished by leaving Stanton and Soule in Sian unless it be for an indefinite period pending tracing of Chen and other murderers.