Washington, Sept. 20.
The. Acting Secretary of State, Mr. R. Walton Moore, to-day said ' that the American Ambassador to China, Mr, Nelson T. Johnson, had been authorized to evacuate the Embassy buildings at Nanking whenever the safety of the Embassy staff was i-perilled.
The actions, therefore, of Mr, Johnson and the Embassy staff in going aboard the U.S.S. Luzon were considered here as being entirely in accord with instructions and prudent in view of the Japanese threat, The Acting Secretary of State emphasized the fact that the Department of State did not consider the Ambassador's action as an abandonment of the Embassy or of American diplomatic representation in China. Mr. Moore said the evacuation was only temporary, The Acting Secretary of State summoned the Japanese Ambassado-, Mr. Hirosi Saito, to the State Department to-day, shortly before the announced time of.the Japanese bombing of Nanking.
Officials of the Department of State made no attempt to conceal their anxiety over the situation precipitated by the Japanese proposal for wholesale destruction of Nanking. It was considered likely that.Mr. Moore had conveyed to Mr. Saito some form of warning about extensive American property and interests at Nanking—United Press.
Raid to be Delayed Tokyo, Sept, 21.
It was understood from private sources here to-day that the Japanese intend to postpone. the bombardment of Nanking for a short time—United of Nanking for a short time—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.