793.94/4413a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Forbes)
62. 1. Sir John Simon27 has just informed me from Geneva that the British Ambassador at Tokyo has been instructed by him to make representations to the Japanese Foreign Office requesting the following: (1) That Japanese warships at Shanghai be moved from their present anchorage further down the river to a point where they will not draw the fire from the Chinese forces which will endanger the International Settlement and the vessels of other nations at anchor in the river; (2) in the event the sending of further reinforcements is being contemplated by the Japanese Government, arrangements will be made not to land its troops in the Settlement but at such points as [Page 201] will not draw fire from the Chinese to the danger of the Settlement or its residents or the vessels lying in the river which belong to other nations. I am further informed that the French and Italian Governments also have been requested by the British to make similar representations.
2. The Department authorizes and requests that in cooperation with the British Ambassador and the French and Italian Ambassadors you make representations of the same nature.
3. I should like to have these representations made in the form of a joint visit by you and at least the British Ambassador and if possible at the same time the French and Italian Ambassadors. It is my desire that you endeavor to persuade the other Ambassadors to leave with the Japanese Foreign Office written memoranda of their representations. A joint memorandum if you can agree on one would be so much the better. In the event this is impracticable, separate memoranda of similar import would have my approval. No matter what is decided upon, it is my desire that the representations which are made by you on behalf of the American Government be made a matter of record by leaving with the Japanese Foreign Office a written memorandum.
4. The reason I am requesting that your representations be left in a written memorandum is I believe that from now on it is most important that a written record of all important representations or protests be kept so that it may be available in connection with any issues which may arise hereafter where written evidence may be of importance or as a basis for any legal claims.
It is on the initiative of the British and other Governments that the foregoing proposals have been made. We do not wish to be placed in the position of having taken the initiative, although we are quite willing to cooperate.
- British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩