Office of the Historian

793.94/9560: Telegram

The Commander in Chief, U. S. Asiatic Fleet (Yarnell) to the Chief of Naval Operations (Leahy)52

[Shanghai,] August 21, 1937—7:05 p.m.
[Received August 21—11:38 a.m.]

0021. Strongly recommended proposal of making any or all of Tsingtao a “sanctuary” for the safety of the many Europeans and Americans now residing here to your earnest consideration. At present both Chinese and Japanese authorities in Tsingtao are earnestly striving to solve present difference. If the nations most interested could unite in securing agreement to such a plan by the Chinese and Japanese Governments it should be a godsend to several thousand Americans and Europeans now here.

C[ommander] in C[hief] A[siatic] F[leet]
  1. Copy transmitted to the Department by the Navy Department.↩