Office of the Historian

393.1163 Am 33/257: Telegram

The First Secretary of Embassy in China (Smyth) to the Secretary of State

Peiping, August 2, 1940—3 p.m.
[Received August 3—4:25 p.m.]

262. Canton’s July 30, 4 p.m. to Peiping repeated to the Department,4 interference with Southern Baptist Mission hospital.

The Embassy respectfully recommends that representations be made in Tokyo.5

This unwarranted and petty interference with an American mission hospital on the specious pretext of “military necessity” appears to be another instance of the present provocative attitude of the Japanese military towards Americans in China mentioned in Peiping’s 253, July 25, 6 p.m.4

Sent to the Department. Repeated to Chungking, Canton, Tokyo.

Smyth
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. The Department in its telegram No. 289, August 1, 7 p.m., instructed the Embassy in Japan accordingly, and the Ambassador in Japan in his telegram No. 703, August 16, noon, reported on action taken (393.1163 Am 33/253, 260).↩
  3. Not printed.↩