Show PAN WARNED TO GUARD U II S. S II HULL REPORTS POINTED NOTE SENT TO TO KID Request to Evacuate China War Zone 1 2 Refused c. WASHINGTON Feb 25 AP AP- AP The The United States States' has asserted asserted assert assert- assert i ed emphatically to Japan the the rights of Ameri Americans ans and American Ameri can property in China Secretary Hull said today this government had presented a a. straightforward rd note to Japan d de declaring de- de claring elating that Japan will ill be held responsible for lor any damage to Americans and their property in China Chiria In the note the Uni United States reused refused refused re- re fused used to accept Japans Japan's warning to Americans to leave central China and to specially mark their prop prop prop- erty Hull HulI told the Japanese there rests i upon American America officials and other American nationals in China no ob ob- whatsoever to take precautionary measures requested on behalf behalf be- be half of the contending forces to toward toward toward to- to ward safeguarding American lives and interests Warns Against Violence Hull added this government nt had voluntarily advised its nationals to leave eave certain Chinese areas and that these hese warnings had been observed by Americ Americans ris He said that said that would continue to be a a. voluntary practice Nevertheless he lie warned varned in his note the obligation remains remain on the military authorities to exert the utmost precaution so that American nationals and property shall not be injured by their military military mili mili- tary operations If and where American nationals and pr property perty are injured in consequence consequence conse cease quence of the operations of armed forces he declared this government will be compelled to attribute to the government controlling those armed forces responsibility for the dam dim ages Upholds Citizens Citizens' Rights Right In brief the United States policy as laid down by Hull today was that the United States urges its citizens citizens' s' s to leave danger areas but upholds upholds' their right to remain if they desire It denies the right of Japan to fo to urge them to leave or to injure them or their properties if they refuse to to follow such urging either by Amer Anier America ica or by Jap Japan n. n At his press conference Hull HuIl referred referred referred re re- to his note of last August to both the Chinese and Japanese governments governments gov gov- 1 in which he said this government government government gov gov- reserved all rights and claims to damages for any injuries inflicted on American nationals or their property by military operations of either government The secretary said conditions with regard to Americans in China are 4 j tn improving r Japanese military commanders commanders 1 principally in the big cities are improving ing law and order in those localities he said The secretary asserted the rea reason reain for not giving out the note in verbatim verbatim ver- ver ver ver-J was that he did not have the text The note was first made public In and Tokio g He said that on February 18 had sent detailed instructions instruction to Ambassador Grew In Tokio on the basis of which Grew wrote the note and presented it to the Japanese government |