393.1163Am3/411: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
Peiping, October 7, 1939—11
a.m.
[Received October 7—9 a.m.]
[Received October 7—9 a.m.]
531. Peiping’s 509, September 25, 5 p.m. and 523, October 3, 6 p.m.68
- 1.
- Representative of Sisters of Providence, just arrived in Peiping, has informed Embassy that, in addition to the demand on the part of the Honan Provincial Bureau of Education that their school accept a Japanese adviser, the authorities now demand that the mission deposit with them the sum of 60,000 Chinese dollars, presumably in the nature of a guarantee. Representative states school has voluntarily complied with all requirements for registration except the two mentioned above and that the sisters would prefer to close the school rather than submit to these terms.
- 2.
- Embassy believes that further representations to Japanese Embassy here, based on the new developments, would be advisable. It is felt that the requirement that the school deposit funds with the provincial authorities is particularly obnoxious and, if acceded to, might set a most unfortunate precedent. The Department’s instructions are respectfully requested.
- 3.
- Embassy feels that representations to the Japanese Foreign Office might materially assist in reaching an expeditious and satisfactory settlement of this case and respectfully suggests that the Department may wish to consider instructing the Embassy at Tokyo to that effect.
Repeated to Chungking, Hankow and Tokyo.
Lockhart
- Neither printed.↩