394.115 Panay/423: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
123. Your 227, April 4, 4 p.m., and 229, April 5, noon. Dooman may reply to Yoshizawa in the form of an unofficial letter as follows:
“The total amount of $2,214,007.36 which my Government is prepared to accept as indemnification for losses and damages resulting from the incident of December 12, 1937, is itemized as follows (in U. S. dollars):
- A.
- Property losses:
- I.
- Navy Department: Loss of Panay $455,727.87; Loss of ship’s equipage, supplies, etc. $97,766.48; Effects of personnel $40,263.00. Total $593,757.35.
- II.
- Post Office Department: Stamps, funds, and supplies $74.27.
- III.
- Department of State: Effects of Embassy personnel $6,400.80.
- IV.
- Standard-Vacuum Oil Company: Cost of replacement of 5 vessels (Mei Ping, Mei Hsia, Mei An, Mei Foo IX, Bulk Junk 163); damage to 2 others (Mei Foo XI, and Lighter No. 206); loss sustained by reason of deprivation of use of vessels until new vessels can be placed in operation; office furniture, cargo, bunkers and ship’s stores, cash; less depreciation on first 5 vessels named, in the amount of $229,703.00; $1,251,008.00. Other personal property on board vessels, $36,934.00. Total, $1,287,942.00.
- V.
- Personal property of 13 American nationals not members of the Navy, Embassy, or Standard-Vacuum Oil personnel, $57,495.59.
- Total of all property losses $1,945,670.01.
- B.
- Death and personal injury
indemnifications:
For death of two members of crew of Panay and Captain of Mei Ping, and injury to 74 people on board the Panay or other vessels $239,887.98, and for hospitalization and loss of services during sick status, etc., $28,449.37.
Total for deaths and personal injuries, $268,337.35.
With regard to the items of personal property, there happens to have been on the several vessels a larger amount of personal property than usual, because of the fact that at the time of this incident a number of the persons affected were withdrawing from Nanking under circumstances of evacuation. The figures as presented constitute as accurate a computation of the damages sustained as it is reasonably possible to make. As stated in the Embassy’s communication of March 21, my Government has not included punitive damages. Furthermore, my Government does not intend to ask for any punitive damages.”
[Paraphrase.] Upon presentation of the letter by Dooman, should the Japanese authorities ask for a more detailed itemization, he may state orally that the United States Government will have no objection to giving the Japanese Government a full statement ultimately of the disbursements when settlement shall have been made by this Government individually with the various claimants. [End paraphrase.]