793.94/4192: Telegram
The Consul General at Nanking (Peck) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 14—5:30 p.m.]
Your 23, February 6, 8 p.m. Following is my translation of a note from the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the American Minister dated February 14th and received February 14, 11 p.m., excluding introduction which quotes the note of February 10th from the American Minister:
“However, according to reports which have been received on the morning of February 14, ten thousand and more Japanese troops [Page 331] landed on various wharves in the International Settlement and another large contingent of Japanese troops will arrive on February 15. This is unmistakable evidence that the Japanese Government regards slightingly sincere representations made by Your Excellency’s Government and that International Settlement is still affording protection to the Japanese forces and permits them to use Settlement as a base of operations for the launching of attacks on Chinese forces. The Chinese Government, therefore, again asserts with the utmost earnestness that if the Japanese troops at Shanghai continue their attacks on Chinese-controlled territory and, if through properly conducted defense measures taken by the Chinese troops against such attacks, life and property in the International Settlement receive injury, the Chinese Government will accept no responsibility of any sort in connection therewith. I have the honor to state that a communication has likewise been addressed to the British Minister and I take this opportunity to lodge a decided protest and to request that Your Excellency, on the basis of the serious attention given by Your Excellency’s Government in this matter and with reference to the repeated communications from this Ministry already referred to, will with all speed put an end to the use of the International Settlement by the Japanese troops as a base of operations for attacks on Chinese forces, as well as forbid the Japanese forces to effect landings on wharves in the International Settlement, in order to lend emphasis to the assurance given by Your Excellency. I hope that I may receive the favor of a reply. (Signed) Lo Wen-kan. (seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).”
Translator’s note: The assurance referred to was contained in the last sentence of the note of the American Minister of February 10, which sentence read[s] as follows:
“I have the honor to assure Your Excellency that the matter forming the subject of your communications under reply is receiving continuous and solicitous consideration from the American Government, together with the other interested Governments.”
Repeated to Shanghai and the Legation.