Office of the Historian

793.94/4101: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham)

Washington, February 10, 1932—8 p.m.

13. Your 31, February 10, 9 p.m. We concur in your belief that the Japanese have no peace parley plans. We have no longer any reason to think that anything is likely to be accomplished by such move, meaning thereby reliance on the suggestion which they made as communicated by us to you in Department’s February 6, 8 p.m.97 We believe that the Japanese suggestion made last Saturday has either been cancelled without notice or was merely an attempt on their part to gain time. It is our opinion that the position taken, as reported, by the Japanese Admiral in conversation with the British Admiral that the Chinese should retire 20 miles is wholly inadmissible so far as any consideration, sanction or participation on our part might be involved. [Page 273] We estimate, on the basis of such information as we have, that the Japanese may be planning a wide turning movement against the Chinese forces in and near Chapei. We visualize the possibility that the Chinese forces may be driven by the Japanese against the Settlement. We feel that American effort on the spot should be confined to the endeavor to protect the International Settlement by all appropriate means.

We are so informing Tokyo98 and London.99

Inform your British colleague.

Stimson
  1. Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 184; cf. telegram No. 56, February 6, 8 p.m., to the Chargé in Great Britain, ante, p. 242.↩
  2. Telegram No. 50, February 10, 8 p.m., to the Ambassador in Japan, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 191.↩
  3. Infra.↩