893.111/436: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 15—8:22 a.m.]
My December 22, 9 [10] a.m., travel in Honan.50 In note dated February 5 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs quotes the military authorities as stating that the prohibition of foreign nationals from crossing the closed line in the Yellow River valley and the flooded area in Honan is a military requirement and to their regret refuse to permit relaxation of the general rule as asked by the Embassy by restricting the travel of American citizens only in particular when necessitated by special circumstances because an exception would be inconvenient and might render adequate protection difficult.
Embassy [at] Chungking has received no further protests from Honan following that mentioned in its telegram under reference and it seems possible conditions have improved at Chenghsien. Embassy will refrain from further representations until informed of necessity therefor.
Sent to Peiping, Hankow, Tientsin. True reading air mail Yunnanfu.
- Telegram No. 656, Foreign Relations, 1939, Vol. iv, p. 423.↩