793.94/14378
The American Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Japanese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sawada)
My Dear Minister: I have received a report that the Japanese naval authorities at Shanghai have urgently requested representatives in China of third powers that, owing to the presence in the immediate vicinity of third party vessels anchored off Hankow of a large number of junks carrying Chinese troops, these third party vessels move to previously designated anchorages in order that unfortunate incidents may be avoided. In the communication in which this request is made, the Japanese naval authorities refer to the intensive character of the hostilities which are expected to occur at Hankow and state that it is difficult to give assurance that Chinese troops in close proximity to third party vessels will not be attacked.
[Page 627]My Government takes the strongest possible exception to the position as above intimated of the Japanese naval authorities at Shanghai. The American vessels now anchored off Hankow bear appropriate and adequate markings, and the Japanese naval authorities are, of course, fully aware of their position. Further, there are in Hankow a number of American citizens and important American property interests, whose protection in the existing circumstances requires the presence of American naval vessels and so long as this need exists the American naval vessels must remain. Quite apart from this consideration, there appears to be no warrant for attacks to be made in the vicinity of these vessels.
It is most urgently requested that the appropriate Japanese naval and military authorities be explicitly instructed to refrain from making any attack in the immediate vicinity of American vessels.
Sincerely yours,