The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-08-18
GOVERNMENT WILL
SEEK PROTECTION
= FOR AMERICANS
lConsinued from page - 2


among and evacuation. of AmefI,
cans from the war zones, eSpc-
cially Shanghai. He said the ma
rines will sail aboard the trans
mort Chaumont in about 10 days;
The Chaumont will be conveyed
by. the light cruiser Marbienaea
which will augment the "a u. D.
battleships and destroyers now IN
Chinese waters. '
President Roosevelt acted III
his capacity as commandef-ih-
chief of the. army, navy and ma
rine corps after receipt OF Yarn
ellis request for reinforcementS
and following emergency confer.
ences with Hull, Secretary OF
War Harry H. Woodr!ng, General
Malin Craig, chief of staff of the
army; Rear Admiral James u;
Richardson, acting head Of naval
operations, and Stanley X. Horn
beck, veteran state department
expert who was advanced to the
rank of adviser of far eastern al
fairs.
The chief executives major
concern is for the safe removal or
protection. of the 1000 Americans
in Shanghai and other beleaguer-
ed cities. Although hundreds have
fled and others were boarding
outbound ships, the government
has no authority to cvacuate Its
citizens by mandatory order.
The state department has eX-
erted pressure through diplomatic
and consular officials to hasten
evacustions but advices indicated
that at least 1900 of the Amerl-
cans were reluctant to leave,
many because they have lived IN
Shanghai for years and have busi-
nesses there, or are without
funds.
The state department has no
fund for relief and reparation ac-
tivities and must obtain the
money from some uneXpended
governmental appropriation.
Both Hull and the president
have sternly rebuffed congress
men and others who have de-
manded withdrawal of army,
navy and marine forces from
China, and application of the neu-
trality act. The demand was re-
newed yesterday by three senate
advocates of strict neutrality
Senator's Gerald P. Nye, R., n.
D., Homer T. Bone, D., Wash,
and Bennett c. Clark, D., Mo. B.,
They issued a joint statement
urging invoking of the act and
declaring that chose who see no
danger to the United States in in
Movement in the far eastern con-
flict if the neutrality law were
not applied, can base their posi-
ton only on the hazard that ia
nan will not blockade China
Secretary Hull said yesterday
in a press conference at which he
outlined the administration posi-
ton in the crisis that this govern
ment repeatedly had. urged China
and Japan not to conduct military
operations or establish military
bases in the Shanghai area. He
said that both this and other gov
ernments had expressed the opin-
ion to both nations that both alike
would be considered responsible
by the nations of the world for
any hurtful OF destructive or seri-
Gus military activities in the
Shanghai zone because Shanghai
is. in some respects, an unusual
locality "a great city built up
more or less by the nationals Of
many countries as well as by
China, and that for military &C
tivities to be instituted there, or
carried on, would be calculated to
result in unthinkable injuries and
dangers to both persons and prop
erty, and that there can pot be
any justification for military ac-
tivitieS there. n a. lw