Office of the Historian

793.94/2004: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Johnson)

[Paraphrase]
Washington, October 11, 1931—6 p.m.

388. Your 739, October 11, 10 a.m.24

(1)
The Department desires a complete report at the earliest possible moment regarding the bombing of Chinchow, to include as full an account as possible of the incident, the number of casualties, the damage to property, etc. You should in your discretion make what arrangements you consider most feasible for a prompt execution. If it can be attained by immediately sending Hanson and Salisbury to the spot, you should rush instructions for them to proceed there and at the earliest possible moment to report. Otherwise someone else should be sent.
(2)
Inform the Department of the present whereabouts of Hanson and Salisbury and of the arrangements made by you to carry out the above.
(3)
The foregoing should be regarded as unusually urgent.
Stimson
  1. Not printed.↩