393.116/376: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (MacMurray)
242. Your 563, July 24, noon, and 570, July 25, 7 p.m. Unless you consider it inadvisable, you are instructed to make strong representations telling Nationalist authorities that you expect as demonstration of their good faith and political competency that no more American properties be occupied and that those still occupied be restored to persons rightfully entitled to occupancy. You should emphasize bad impression which retention of properties, especially consular property, makes upon whole world. For your information, the subject of the occupation of American premises in Nanking area has been discussed repeatedly with C. C. Wu and Frank Lee. Latter recently telegraphed Nanking and received reply that two American premises only remained occupied there. When informed of substance of your telegrams, with emphatic representations, yesterday, Lee intimated he would telegraph again regarding the matter.