393.115/12–1149: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Strong) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 12—6:29 a. m.]
Cantel 1332. Following letter dated December 9 received December 10 from Special Commissioner of Chinese Foreign Office, Hong Kong:
“With reference to the American Embassy’s aide-mémoire No. 346, dated the 5th of December, 1949,25 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs desires to inform the American Chargé d’Affaires that instructions have been issued to the Chinese Naval authorities to permit SS Sir John Franklin to depart from Shanghai and proceed on its course for its next port of call. This special permission is only given at the request of the US Government and should not be taken as having established a precedent. As the Isbrandtsen Company has in the past made deliberate attempts to violate Chinese Government order of closure, it is requested that the American Embassy will, in view of the friendship between China and the US of America, take steps to give the company warnings against repetition of such attempts.”
Sent Department Cantel 1332, repeated Taipei 240, Shanghai 580, Hong Kong by hand.