811.42793/488a
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of the Navy (Knox)
RC49
My Dear Mr. Secretary: Dr. William B. Pettus, an American citizen, President of the College of Chinese Studies at Peiping, at which a large number of officers of this Department as well as of the Navy and War Departments have received training in the Chinese language and instruction in Chinese customs and institutions, in the course of the last few years, has requested the Department to facilitate, if possible, the transportation on a naval transport from Chinwangtao or Shanghai to Manila and thence to the United States of ten members of the College’s Chinese faculty who are now at Peiping, including:
- Chang Ping-nan
- Kwang Tzu-chen
- Librarian Pai
- “Chang Hsueh-lou
- Secretary Wang
- Yeh Shao-ting
- Wang Po-chuan
- Chin Yueh-po
The Department’s restrictive passport policy, which necessarily operates at this time to discourage American citizens from proceeding to China for the purpose of studying the Chinese language, has resulted in the conclusion of an arrangement between the College of Chinese studies and the University of California at Berkeley for the temporary transfer of the College to this country to function as a refugee guest college on the University’s campus at Berkeley. Although there are of course a number of institutions of learning in this country which provide instruction in the Chinese language, such instruction is necessarily limited in its practical application by various circumstances, including the absence of facilities for extensive practice in speaking with natives of China.
From the Department’s knowledge of the College of Chinese studies, derived from various of its officers who at times have attended that Institution and from others who are familiar, from first hand observation, with the Institution and its work and from naval and military officers of this Government who have studied under Dr. Pettus, I am of the opinion that the College has served as an important factor in the cultural relations between this country and China, and that its establishment in this country with a considerable staff of native Chinese teachers from Peiping, trained in the particular needs of Americans who are intending to pursue their vocations in China, will provide a continuity in the acquisition by American officials and other citizens of a practical knowledge of the Chinese language.
I, therefore, view it as highly desirable, and in the interest of this Government, to assist Dr. Pettus in so far as is possible in establishing [Page 763] his Institution in this country, and to that end would appreciate it greatly were it feasible for the Navy Department to arrange transportation from Chinwangtao on either the SS President Madison or the SS President Harrison for the ten Chinese teachers referred to. They are expected by Dr. Pettus to be prepared to leave Peiping almost immediately.
Sincerely yours,
- Symbol for Division of Cultural Relations.↩