893.102S/2091½
Memorandum by the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck)
Captain Schuirmann sent Commander McCracken93 to me late yesterday afternoon.
[Page 746]Commander McCracken showed me a telegram which was marked “This is the only copy in the Navy Department”, from Admiral Hart. In the telegram Admiral Hart recommended that we “decide at this time what our course of action would be in case the British and the French withdraw their garrisons from China.” He recommended that “we at least take over Defense Sector B [at Shanghai].” He affirmed that “our forces are temporarily adequate to carry out this move.” He expressed belief that there will be strong demand for the British and the French to withdraw and that “they may acquiesce”.—This was the whole content of the telegram. There was given no supporting argumentation, statement of reasons, or comment.
Commander McCracken also showed me a memorandum giving the numbers of United States landed armed forces in China, as follows:
| Officers | Warrant | Men | |
| Shanghai | 47 | 7 | 1,011 |
| Tientsin | 13 | 1 | 225 |
| Peiping | 16 | 1 | 315 |
- Capt. Roscoe E. Schuirmann and Lt. Comdr. Alan Reed McCracken, of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.↩