Office of the Historian

393.115/609: Telegram

The Consul at Hankow (Jarvis) to the Secretary of State

Hankow, April 14, 1939—4 p.m.
[Received April 14—7:40 a.m.]

Shanghai’s 274, April 13, 7 p.m. A member of my staff called at the Japanese Consulate General today and asked what undertaking Aldunate and Berntsen had given to the Japanese authorities in connection with their passage to Shanghai. He was shown a form similar to those they had signed which contains the following clause: “That I leave with the understanding that the Japanese authorities cannot under any circumstance guarantee my return to Hankow”. The form, which is in English, contains no undertaking not to return or seek to return.49

Sent to Shanghai, repeated to Peiping, Chungking.

Jarvis
  1. In telegram No. 254, June 1, 6 p.m., the Chargé in Japan, reported that Mrs. Berntsen and her son proceeded to Hankow on May 28 (393.1115/4275).↩