Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally

Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally

228 Officer to Department of External Affairs

Cablegram 327 NANKING, 1 December 1948, 12.30 a.m.

IMMEDIATE TOP SECRET

My telegram 322 [1] and paragraph 11 of Fuhrman's telegram 291.

[2] Commonwealth representatives have discussed the question of moving from Nanking. They have come to the conclusion that unless the Government provided all necessary facilities both for transporting the Mission and accommodating it at the new capital, they would remain at Nanking.

2. This decision has since been discussed with the United States Ambassador and the French, Netherlands and Belgian Ambassadors who all agree.

3. It should, of course, be kept most secret as should it be known it would prejudice our relations here so long as the Government remains.

1 See Document 227, footnote 1 2 Dispatched by O.C.W. Fuhrman, Charge d'Affaires, Nanking, on 14 November. Paragraph 11 read: 'If the Government and garrison evacuate Nanking, general idea is that the Head of each mission would proceed to the new seat of the Government if Nationalists made transport arrangements to that end.' In the event of the Communists becoming 'troublesome', Fuhrman 'detailed one man (with a second man to stand by in case of casualty) to be absent from the muster and to have drum, of petrol and burn cyphers and such secret records as we think to be destroyed.'

[AA:A1838/1, 494/1/22/1]

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

  • R.G. Casey Building
    John McEwen Crescent
    Barton ACT 0221 Australia
  • Phone: +61 2 6261 1111
  • Fax: +61 2 6261 3111
  • ABN: 47 065 634 525

Australian offices:

International offices:

Embassies, High Commissions, Consulates, Multilateral Missions and Representative Offices.

Portfolio agencies

Travel

Trade

Issues

Organisations

Foundations, Councils and Institutes

About us

Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries

Stay up to date