393.1163/12–2845: Telegram
The Second Secretary of Embassy in China (Stevens) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 28—9 a.m.]
42. [To Embassy:] Six American and six Canadian nuns of the Order of the Precious Blood and three French nuns belonging to the Helpers of the Holy Souls are isolated in their respective convents at Hsienhsien in southern Hopei Province about 100 miles southwest of Tientsin as a result of a raid on the Catholic Mission there perpetrated by Chinese Communists or bandits on December 18. These nuns are unable to leave their houses because of the state of the area and they are marooned there without food, the Communists having looted all nuns’ stock as well as the linen and bedding of the sisters. The raiders abandoned an attempt to occupy the two respective convents.
In priests’ residence at the Mission there remain 16 French missionaries, 1 Belgian and 1 Spaniard. Father Charvet, S. J., is in charge of this group. A number of Chinese priests, scholastic brothers and seminarians managed to escape from the residence during the night a few days after the attack and reached Peiping on December 26.
Sent to Chungking; repeated to Dept.
The above information was received through Julien Ghyselinck, S. J., procurator of the Mission who is at Maison Chakorel, No. 1 Shih Hu Hutung, Peiping.
It is suggested that the Embassy may wish to approach Yenan leaders now present in Chungking with a view to having Communist instructions issued to Communists at Hsienhsien to facilitate evacuation in safety of the foreign nuns to Peiping.