793.94/13469
The Counselor of the American Embassy in Japan
(Dooman) to the Director of the American Bureau of the Japanese
Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Yoshizaiva)
My Dear Yoshizawa: I enclose herewith a copy of
the substance of a letter addressed by our Consul General at Shanghai to
Mr. Tani in reply to the latter’s letters of June 11, with regard to the
movements of foreign vessels between Wuhu and Hukow on the Yangtze
River.
Sincerely yours,
[Enclosure]
The American Consul General at Shanghai
(Lockhart) to the Japanese
Minister at Large in China (Tani)
I have been advised by Admiral Yarnell that there are no United
States vessels in the Yangtze between Wuhu and Hukow at this date.
However, Admiral Yarnell plans to visit in that vicinity on the 24th
and 25th of this month in the U. S. S. Isabel. It will depend on what assistance American nationals
may need in that locality as to future presence of our vessels
there, at which time due notice will be given to both the Chinese
and Japanese, and this will include areas above Hukow. Admiral
Yarnell also adds that due care will be taken as to unnecessary
exposure in those areas, but that assistance to Americans evacuating
is of paramount importance to the Navy and will be carried out; and
the information given in Mr. Tani’s letters of June 11 does not in
the slightest degree relieve the Japanese Government of
responsibility for any harm to our vessels or persons. Further that
our vessels are painted white and have large flags painted on their
awnings, and should be apparant [at] several thousand feet
altitude.
