The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-09-22
PUBLIC ATTITUDE.
ON CHINA POLICY
WORRY TO HULL
Patriots Insist U. S.
Prestige Suffers
BY DORIS FLEESON

BY DORIS FLEESON
The best brains Of the State
Department are almost as much
harassed these days by the prob
lem of American public opinion
as they are by the delicate ques.
ton of the proper policy to pur-
sue in China.
The diplomats figured out a
course which they thought would
be least provocative of the kind
of incidents that drive a nation
to war. This was to advise Amer
lean nationals to get out OF China,
to provide means for them to de-
part and to warn them that II
they failed to take advantage Of
the opportunity to get out, they
must remain at their own risk.
POLICY PROTESTED
Now they are finding out that
this course is deemed damaging
to our prestige by many patriots.
The squawks are coming in Off
cially and unofficially and in the
newspapers.
The department still feels its
policy will best promote peace,
but it is not happy over its discov-
cry that wherever two or three
Americans are gathered together
these days, one, and sometimes
two, can be found to complain that
we must fight for peace.
Hence the unusual talkativeneSS
of Secretary Hull lately about ex-
actly what he is doing-and why.
Hence, too, the probability that
the President will be making care
full explanations to the people re-
garding our Sino-JapaneSe policy
as he Journeys westward.
UP TO JOHNSON
The immediate tempest over
prestige-the supposed unwilling
ness of Ambassador N elSon T.
johnson to eVacuate Marking for
the safety of an American g,lnboat
was the latest department head
ache.
They assert that johnson did
not complain about the evacua.
ton of his staff but in fact used
his own judgment about it. "All
our people in China were told not
to take unnecessary risks and
johnson did the telling" it was ex-
planned. when the japanese an
nounced the bombardment OF
Marking, johnson merely decided
to take his own advice and in
formed US he had put his staff
on the Luzon where they would
stay unless we countermanded
the order. One American official
is remaining in the embassy.
''Of course, johnson feels badly
about 1t. So do we. But we aren't
arguing with each other"
ENVOY SUMMONED
The Department is particularly
irate over having the Union Jack
waved in their faces in this con:
nection. The British ambassador
is ashore, they admit acidly, but
all his staff is on British gun
boat in the river-just like the
American staff.
The by-requeSt visit Of dapper
little japanese Ambassador HiroSi
Saito to Secretary Hull was de-
signed to drive home to the public
that this country was in fact max
ing the strongest representations
to Tokyo against the Marking
bombing.
1t was a sad visit for the usually
smiling and chatty Japanese. He
and his pleasant wife have been
among the most popular diplomats
in the Capital. Now they must
share their country's wave of I'M
popularity.
BLACK MISSES McREYNOLDS
The Roosevelt camp was sorry
to hear yesterday that New Deal
contender Black had ducked its
first encounter with Old Deal
champion McReynolds. Scheduled
to return home on the Manhattan
with the crusty TenneSseean, the
Roosevelt appointee to the High
Court will land instead from a
Baltimore mail liner at Norfolk,
Va, or Baltimore.
He'll be met on arrival, OF
course, though he has evaded the
famed ship news hounds Of Man
haitian, but those who know him
know he will make his statement
in his own good time if he makes
AVA AZ oil